Knowing Me, Knowing You
by BsBLady
Summary: Leah Clearwater thought she was a genetic deadend. Her life takes an unexpected trip when she imprints on a vampire. Please read & review!LXOC Rated M for some lemons and language.
1. Chapter 1 Newborn

I had never imagined the path to damnation to be easy. Nor did I expect the catalyst for my path to be so beautiful. However, the journey was every bit as painful as I had expected, and what I had become, caused terror in the heart that no longer beat in my chest.

* * *

The pain was gone. I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to find Victoria with me. When I realized I was alone, I laughed mockingly to myself. Of course she was gone. Why did I think I was anyone special to her? I rolled off the bed I was laying in, and walked to a mirror. I studied the reflection that stared back at me. Though I knew I was looking at my face, I felt as if I was staring at a stranger. My hair was still the same dark brown, however my eyes were now a deep crimson instead of blue, and the skin of my chest was pale and hard. I knew people found me attractive. I was not vain, yet I knew people would now find me _beautiful_. I snorted at the thought because being _beautiful_ seemed somehow silly. I walked back to the bed and laid down again. I didn't know what I should be doing. I really did expect Victoria to be here to explain things to me. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I was terrified of what I had become. Hoping she would come back for me, I decided to gather my thoughts together and try to remember anything she might have said to explain her departure.

* * *

_Damn! It was cold! I quickly walked down the street, rubbing my hands together to warm them. There was an open mic night at the O'Connelly's, and I was going to meet my friends there. As I walked, I noticed I was approaching 2 teenage girls who were giving me the "eye" and flashing smiles their mothers' would definitely disapprove of._

_"Hi!" they said in unison._

_I politely nodded and said "Hello"._

_"Hey, where are you going?" one of them asked._

_I stopped, smiled, and told them I was going to meet with some friends. By the look in their eyes, it was obvious that they wanted an invitation to tag along. They were pretty girls, however, they were definitely jail bait for my friends and I since we were all 23._

_"Well, you two have a good night" I said and I rushed off before they could reply._

_I was almost at O'Connelly's when another feminine voice called out to me._

_"Hey there handsome"_

_I turned towards the voice, and I stopped walking. The woman had wild red hair, and in the darkness her eyes appeared black. She had an aura of intrigue about her that I immediately found attractive._

_"Hi", I replied, lamely._

_"You look like you could use some company"_

_The line was cheesy. The kind of thing a prostitute might say. However, she did not look like a prostitute, and for some reason, being in her company seemed much more entertaining than hanging out with my friends at O'Connelly's._

_She stood in an alley, the streetlight only illuminating half of her profile. She was such a small thing compared to me, though all women, and most men actually, were small compared to my 6 foot 5 inch, 250 pound frame. I walked over to where she stood, with an easy smile so as not to intimidate her with my size. I knew my smile would bring out my deep dimples, and usually the sight of my smile would immediately put people at ease._

_"Sure, what did you have in mind?"_

_"Let go over to my place and have a little party."_

_We walked to a hotel that was far from the city lights. I didn't know why I was going with her. I never picked up strangers, not even at bars or clubs. It wasn't that I was hard up for a woman either. Women were always drawn to me physically and they enjoyed my down to earth humor, and the fact that I was more mature than other 23 year old guys. Also, the women I was involved with intimately were women that I had known for at least a few days. However, there was just something about this woman that I found irresistible. She had a room at the hotel and she invited me in. I took a seat on the end of the bed, looking at her expectantly. She pursed her lips as if she was not sure what she should do next._

_"What's your name?" I asked to break the ice._

_"Victoria" She said, right before she attacked me._

_Moving too fast for me to understand what was happening, she straddled me, and was ripping my jacket and shirt off. I realized she wasn't wearing any clothes and wondered how did she manage to undress herself without me noticing. My body responded quickly. I grabbed her hips, and I forced her body to grind against mine. I distantly felt the cold, hard, smoothness of her skin. I moved my head to try to capture her lips, but she dodged me. Instead, she leaned over me, pushing my shoulders back, so that I was lying down on the bed. I tried to roll over with her to reverse our positions, but she was a lot stronger than I thought she would be._

_"Not yet. Don't you want to know who I am? What I want?" she murmured in my ear._

_She wanted to talk? Right now? I could barely breathe and she wanted to talk?!_

_I sighed. "So, tell me. Who are you and what do you want?"_

_"Like I said, my name is Victoria. I'm in hurry to get back to Forks, so I can't explain everything to you right now. I need your help, but in order for you to be of any use to me I need you to be like me . . . a vampire."_

_Before I could register her words, she bit me hard on my neck. I was in such shock and pain that at first I just laid there. Then my survival instincts took over and I was using all of my strength to push her off me. As strong as I was, she was stronger. I was going to die. I felt my attempts at escape grow slower and slower, and my eyes drifted shut for what I thought was the last time._

* * *

I don't know how long I laid there on the bed in that hotel, but so far, Victoria had not returned. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Big mistake. I smelled sweat, urine, stale tobacco smoke, sex, and . . .blood. It was the blood that had me rushing out of the room to find its source. It was night but I found that I could see perfectly. In the darkness I located the source of the blood. It was a dog. I grimaced but the thirst soon became unbearable, and I attacked.

* * *

I sat on a fallen log somewhere deep in the woods that was located behind the motel. I stared off into space thinking about what I had done. Killing the dog and drinking its blood was bad enough. Killing the human man who was with the dog was unforgivable. I was a _monster_.

The revulsion I felt after killing the human was more than I could bear. I ran blindly into the woods without bothering to wait for Victoria to explain. I couldn't risk waiting in the hotel room. I didn't want to kill anymore innocent humans. However, the taste of the man's blood on my lips still lingered, and the craving for more was almost overwhelming. I don't know where I found the restraint to _not_ hunt for more.

I must have sat for hours, but it could have been days. Time no longer meant anything to me. I wanted to go back to the hotel room to see if Victoria was looking for me, but the thought of being near humans deterred me. Yet, I couldn't stay where I sat. I supposed that eventually I was going to have to find a shirt since Victoria destroyed the one I was wearing. It wasn't a priority since I could not feel the cold anymore, but it didn't seem right running around the forest shirtless. Suddenly I recalled something Victoria had said right before she bit me. She mentioned something about being in a hurry to get back to Forks. I had never been to Forks, but I knew it was a small town about 140 miles south of Seattle. I felt better now that I knew where Victoria might be. I would go to Forks.


	2. Chapter 2 Imprint

_**3 years later**_

I looked up from the magazine I was reading and immediately wished I didn't. Sam and Emily walked into the store, hand in hand. I thought I would have gotten used to them by now, but apparently time does _not_ heal all wounds.

"Hey Leah" Sam said, while Emily smiled shyly.

Even though Emily's smile was crooked due to her scars, she still was very pretty. I wanted to hate her for stealing Sam away from me, but I couldn't. She used to be my best friend, practically my sister, and even though our relationship will never be the same, she was still my cousin.

"Hey" I said glumly. I saw Emily's smile falter and Sam looked uncomfortable, but I refused to act as if I was happy and everything was fine. Afterall, it seemed that everyone I knew would have a future with the one they loved except for me. I was a genetic deadend. Sure, I had my family and my pack, but apparently love would not be part of my life.

I returned to reading the article in my magazine, while they browsed the store, however I couldn't concentrate on what I was reading. I was too aware of them. I hated the feeling. I asked myself, why don't you just leave La Push? But I've had this discussion with myself before, and as long as my pack needed me, I would be here. I never thought I would take pride in being the beta in Jacob's pack, but I did. It was a position that I had earned.

Finally, Sam and Emily were finished browsing. They came up to the counter and purchased their items. I quickly rang them up, just wanting them to leave me in peace.

"See you around, Leah" Emily quietly said.

"Yeah, see you" Sam repeated.

"Sure" I said to their retreating backs.

I sighed and returned to my magazine. I finally noticed the headline of the article I was reading – "50 Things to Make Him Worship You". Ha! Like I would be using those tips anytime soon.

* * *

I ran as fast as I could for the pure joy of running. The wind that breezed through my fur felt wonderful. This was the only time that I felt free. Free from hurt, free from pain, free from rejection. Jacob, Seth, Quil, and Embry were out there too. We were running our usual circuit around La Push and the Cullens' land. There had been some sightings of nomadic vampires, and we were making sure they did not cross our borders. Though I was still wary of the Cullens, I've come to accept them as a part of my life. For some reason, Seth idol worshiped Edward, and I couldn't refuse to acknowledge Renesmee as Jacob's mate. I grimaced to myself, thinking how unfair life was. As soon as Renesmee was born, she had found her soul mate. And here I was, a full grown woman, and I was alone.

I slowed my stride as I approached a small waterfall in the woods. I was thirsty, so I decided to take a break and have a drink. I must have been too distracted by my thoughts. Or maybe it was the rush and spray of the waterfall that disguised the scent and sound. Whatever the reason, I was taken by surprise as a vampire attacked me from behind. I immediately engaged in the fight but before I could alert my pack, I phased back to my human form.

What was this!? Why had I phased!!??!!! I lay on my back in shock, pinned underneath the vampire, and I stared up into the face of the vampire that was going to kill me. Suddenly, the universe felt like it was out of balance, my head spun, and I felt a burning inside my body. Well, not exactly a burning. It felt more like a ray of sunshine that was escaping from the pores of my body, and the only thing keeping me together was the vampire that was laying on top of me. He had my hands gripped in both of his hands, and he quickly pulled my arms above my head. He seemed to be in shock as well, and he studied my face as I studied his. He was beautiful. His hair was dark brown, and it looked messy, rumpled, but was sexy as hell. His eyes were not crimson, like I expected. They looked like the Cullens' eyes, golden topaz. His lips were masculine, but amazingly full. He had a mouth that was made for kissing. Slowly, I began to notice other things besides his face. I was completely naked, while he lay fully clothed on top of me. I was not what you could call petite, not like Alice Cullen. However, this vampire made me feel petite. Though he had shifted his weight to get a better look at me, his body engulfed mine. His gaze caught my attention again, and he slowly smiled, revealing deep dimples.

"Well, well, well. Look what I found" he murmured as his mouth slowly descended to my mouth.

Before his mouth could connect with mine, I twisted away, and kicked out from under him. I was frightened. Not because of him, but because of my reaction to him. After all this time, after all my misery, I had finally imprinted. On a vampire no less! Before he could capture me again, a sprinted off into the woods, hoping he would not follow.


	3. Chapter 3 Capture

Whoa! What the hell was that?! I had been tracking a wolf, and when it came to the waterfall to drink, I attacked. But instead of satiating my thirst with the wolf's blood, the wolf transformed into a woman. Man, that woman was gorgeous! With her long black hair, almond shaped eyes, and luscious mouth (not to mention her sexy body) it took all of my self-restraint not to rip her throat out. It had been 3 years since I had last killed a human, and I would hate myself for all eternity if I had killed this particular human. I found myself _wanting_ this woman. In the few seconds that she was with me, I knew that I had never wanted or desired anything more in my entire life.

So, why was I sitting here like an idiot instead of giving chase? She couldn't have gone far. Ha! As if she could out run me! Besides, she was naked, so I didn't think she would be going into town anytime soon.

I quickly got to my feet and chased after her. I could still smell her scent in the air. Hopefully she didn't transform into a wolf by the time I reached her. There were things I wanted from her that she couldn't give me if she were a wolf. Although thoughts of me capturing her, kissing her, _ravishing_ her assailed my mind, what I really wanted from her were answers.

The last time I was in Forks, I was searching for Victoria. Instead I came across another vampire named Jaspar. I came across him while he was hunting with his mate, Alice. At first he attacked me. He was intent on killing me, however, I was not easy to kill. Alice came between us and told Jaspar to leave me alone. We talked. I told them that Victoria created me, and at the sound of her name, I thought I would have to fight off both Jaspar and Alice. Luckily, Alice seemed to get a hold of herself, and she placed herself between me and Jaspar. I told them about the human I killed. Told them about my guilt and remorse. They told me about how they lived. About just surviving on animal's blood. They also told me about another coven in Alaska that lived the same way. They suggested I go there since their coven was in the middle of some kind of war. I agreed, and left for Alaska.

My time with the Denalis was very educational, and being surrounded by beautiful females was definitely a plus. I learned that Jaspar and Alice were part of the Cullen coven. The Cullen coven consisted of Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Rosalie, Emmett, Jaspar, and Alice. The Denalis were like cousins to the Cullens, and I assumed that was the reason for their similar eating habits. Not that I minded. After killing the human man, I vowed I would never kill another human being again. Tanya found this amusing. She told me she had never met a newborn who actually felt remorse. In fact, she said I must be an anomaly since I was able to adapt so easily to my new life. Apparently newborns were supposed to be crazed killing machines.

Oh, Tanya. It made me sad to think of her. We were almost inseparable the moment I arrived on their doorstep. Naturally I found her beautiful. I knew she found me attractive. Our relationship was not what you would call a love match. From the beginning, our relationship was purely physical. We both knew that we weren't in love. I knew she had an unrequited love for Edward. She tried to hide it because she also loved Bella, and knew that Edward and Bella were meant to be. I suppose she was hoping that she could transfer her feelings of love to me. However, when we were together, in the midst of passion, she would bite my shoulder and muffle Edward's name. I never took it personally, but I must admit that I was curious. I wanted to know more about the Cullen clan. So, with a fond farewell, I took off and went back to Forks.

* * *

Smiling to myself, I realized that my prey was hiding nearby. I stopped running when her scent seemed to have disappeared, but it only took me a few seconds to realize that the scent didn't disappear exactly. It just shifted upwards. I looked up into the trees, trying to locate her.

"Come on out. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Please just leave me alone!"

I quickly turned towards the sound of her voice. She was hiding, way up in the tree that had the most foliage. I grinned at her attempts to hide her nudity from my gaze. She really did have the sexiest body I had ever seen.

"You can't hide up there forever! What's your name?"

By the look of her expression, I knew she was becoming angry. "Listen bloodsucker, we are not going to be friends, so there's no point in telling you my name. Just leave!"

My grin became wider, and I held up my hands in surrender, as I tried not to laugh. She reminded me of an angry kitten. Or maybe I should say an angry puppy, since apparently she could turn into a wolf. The Denalis never did mention anything like that while I was with them.

"Are you going to get out of that tree?"

"No!"

"Then I guess I'm going to have to force you" I said as I jumped onto the branch she was standing on.

I heard her scream as I grabbed her by the waist, and nimbly jumped down from the tree. She was furious, but she didn't try to fight me off. I found this encouraging, so I set her on her feet, however, as soon as I let go of her waist she sprinted off again. I sighed at her foolish attempt to escape me, and tackled her to the ground. I grabbed both of her hands and pulled her arms above her head for the second time that day.

"We seem to keep meeting like this" I said as I smiled down at her.

"Let me go!" She screamed up at me, and wriggled her body to try to buck me off of her.

"Now, now. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, but if you keep moving her body like that, we're going to end up doing something I'd rather save until after I know your name." To prove my point, I ground my hips against her, and she became suddenly still.

"That's a good girl. Now, where were we? My name is Jensen. What's your name?" I asked, with my most charming smile.

For a minute, I didn't think she would answer me. The only sounds I could hear were her harsh, panting breaths. I thought I detected a pattern in her breathing that could be arousal, but I decided that it was just wishful thinking on my part. She continued to study my face, and it looked like she was dazed and confused. Was she as attracted to me as I was to her? Could her hostility from a moment ago be an act? I hoped so. It wouldn't say too much of my character if I had to forcibly seduce her in order to have her.

"My name is Leah" she whispered as she closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4 Heat

**_Thanks to all my reviewers! I'll keep writing as long as you keep reviewing!_**

Life was really unfair. I lay here motionless, with my _soul mate_, trying to fight off my tears. Why did I have to imprint on a fucking vampire!?! Fate was definitely a bitch.

"There now. That wasn't so bad" he said.

I opened my eyes, as he slowly got off me, gauging my reaction. He was probably thinking I was going to bolt again. I laid where I was, looking at him. He stared at me, and his gaze slowly pursued my body. If I wasn't so miserable, I probably would have blushed. His gaze was so searing, I thought my body would ignite in flames. I noticed as he slowly shrugged out of his jacket and held out a hand for me. Reluctantly, I took his hand, stood up, and took the jacket he offered. I shrugged on his jacket and shivered. Of course his jacket was cold since he generated no body heat.

"Was it my imagination or did I just see you transform from a wolf to a human?"

Damn, the whole give-anything-the-object-of-your-imprinting wants compulsion. Luckily he didn't seem to realize that I had imprinted on him. I meant to keep it that way. I would rather die than to have him realize he was my soul mate.

"No, it wasn't your imagination. I'm a shape shifter. I'm this way because you exist."

"Because _I_ exist?" he asked bewildered.

"No because your _kind_ exists. Vampires" I spit the word out like an expletive.

"Oh, so you must know the Cullens."

Great, so he knew the Cullens. Was he a friend of their's or an enemy?

"Yes, I know them. What are they to you?" I asked with some anger.

"Relax" he said, with his hands up to placate me I assumed. "I know Alice and Jaspar, and I wanted to meet everyone else" he said with a grin.

At that moment, Jacob, Seth, Embry, and Quil appeared circling us. They were agitated and growling. I quickly turned to Jacob before this could become a fight.

"Jake, it's okay. He's a friend of the Cullens" I said. To make sure no one attacked, I quickly grabbed Jensen's hand and put my body in front of his. Though my attention was on my pack, I couldn't help but notice how tall Jensen was. The top of my head just reached his chest.

"There's more of you?" Jensen whispered in my ear.

"Yes. I belong with this pack" I whispered back, though a tiny voice in my head corrected me. I no longer belonged to the pack. I belonged to Jensen now.

* * *

We were all at the Cullens' house. Well, actually, Jacob, Seth, and Jensen were in the house with the Cullens. I was outside on the porch with Embry and Quil. I still could not find it in myself to go into the "lion's den" as I liked to call it. At least I was no longer naked and I no longer had to borrow Jensen's jacket. I was able to change into my own clothes before we went to the Cullens.

"What's the deal, Leah? Why did you phase to your human form with that guy?" Embry asked.

"If I knew why, don't you think I would've told Jacob when he asked me?" I replied irritably.

It still bothered me that I phased to my human form involuntarily. It didn't make sense. As a human I would be too vulnerable to fight effectively against a vampire. Maybe fate wasn't a bitch afterall. Maybe fate forced me to phase into a human because fate knew that if I killed the object of my imprinting that I would truly suffer for the rest of my life. Not to mention the suffering my pack mates would have to endure with me.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you like the leech" Embry said with a smirk.

"You're right . . . you don't know better. Embry, could you please annoy someone else? I had a long day."

"But you're so much fun to annoy right now. Ow! Okay, okay, I'll be inside with your boyfriend" he said and ran into the house as I was preparing to throw my other shoe at him. I glared at Quil, expecting him to continue where Embry left off.

He raised his eyebrows, but was smart enough to follow Embry inside, and he left me alone without a mocking word.

I sat there alone, staring out at the approaching dawn. I hadn't slept for more than 24 hours, and I really was exhausted. I don't know why I didn't just leave to get some sleep. But I knew I wouldn't leave any time soon. Part of me was anxious. What if Jacob decided Jensen was a threat and decided to kill him? Or what if Jensen wasn't welcome at the Cullens and had to leave? Another part of me, the part of me that I tried to keep buried, wanted to stay because Jensen was here and I belonged where ever he was. Shit, this was definitely a conundrum. I yearned to be with Jensen with every fiber of my being, but at the same time, I didn't want him to know that he was my soul mate. To be honest, I thought the whole imprinting business was kind of embarrassing. I mean, unless you were a shape shifter as well, the thought of telling someone that they are the object of your imprinting sounded ridiculous when said out loud. What would I say? "Um, Jensen, I know I just barely met you, and we almost killed each other, but can I stay with you forever? You see, you're my soul mate." I grimaced to myself because it just sounded stupid, even in my thoughts.

I heard the sound of footsteps before the front door opened. Jaspar and Jensen walked out, and I stood up because I didn't want to feel smaller than I already felt in their presence. I didn't know what I would say to them, so I waited for them to acknowledge me.

They were in a friendly conversation, and you would think that they were best friends forever. Jeez! Did everybody have to like the Cullens? Finally, Jensen turned towards me and smiled. I stared at him, stunned yet again by his beauty. His smile lit up his entire face, and I felt the urge to touch the tip of my tongue in the indentation of one of his dimples.

"Hello Leah" Jaspar said. "I know you already met Jensen. He's going to be staying with us for a while. I was just going to show him to one of the cabins we recently rebuilt. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? You look exhausted."

"Uh, yeah, sure. I just wanted to check in with Jacob before I left" I said.

"You might as well go inside. The boys are all eating, so you should eat something too before you leave" Jaspar replied courteously.

"Oh, okay" Gah! I sounded like an idiot! I never spoke like this in front of anyone, much less to one of the Cullens. I swear, imprinting has turned me into a moron. I turned towards the front door, wanting to escape.

"Leah!" Jensen called out.

I slowly turned towards him, trying to not blush at the sound of my name on his lips.

"I'll be seeing you soon" he murmured and started walking with Jaspar towards the edge of the river before I could reply.

* * *

The days started to all blur together. For the most part, my routine was the same: go to work, do my patrol, sleep. However, I did add one thing to my list. I spent a good amount of time during my patrol spying on Jensen. I hated to use the word _spying_, but it sounded better than stalking. I was no better than the love sick females in the romance novels my mother liked to read! Though I would run into Jensen from time to time, he was the perfect gentleman. This started to confuse me because when we first met, I could've sworn he wanted me in a way no _gentleman_ ever would. I started to believe the heated looks he gave me were just my imagination.

However, something was happening to me that I did not anticipate. Being the only female wolf in my pack, I had no one to talk to about my problem. Well, actually, it never was a problem until I imprinted. In all of my tribes' legends, folklore, or histories, there never was a mention of what I was experiencing, but I knew what it was. I was going into heat.


	5. Chapter 5 Tent

Where was she? I kind of got used to Leah shadowing my every move, but today she was nowhere to be found. I had been here for 3 months, and I always looked forward to the part of the day when Leah would be on patrol. Not that she really approached me. She just kind of stayed in the background, watching me. Sometimes when our paths crossed I could hear how fast her heart was pounding, and I liked to think it was because of me. I wanted to get to know her better, but even though she was always near me, she seemed to go out of her way to avoid me at the same time.

The last time I saw her was yesterday evening. There was a full moon, and the animals of the forest seemed to be out and about more than usual. I needed to hunt since it had been 2 weeks since I last had a meal. The Cullens usually invited me to go hunting with them, but I liked to hunt alone. I brought down a buck, and when I was done feeding, I looked up and saw Leah staring at me from across the river. I could see that she was breathing hard, as if she were frightened. I must have looked like a monster to her with the buck's blood still on my lips. However, the look in her eyes made me realize that she was not afraid. If I didn't know better, I'd say the look in her eyes was desire. I slowly licked my lips to wipe away the evidence of the buck's blood, and her eyes followed my tongue's movement. That was all the invitation I needed. I leapt over the river to join her, but to my disappointment she phased into her wolf form and ran off. I decided to leave her alone. Carlisle explained to me how the shape shifters thoughts were connected when they were in their wolf forms, and the last thing I wanted was an audience for what I had in mind for Leah.

I started to get worried. After all, there were more dangerous things out there besides the Cullens, myself, and the shape shifters. I decided the best way to find her would be to ask Jacob, so I headed up to the house. As usual, when Jacob was not on patrol, he was at the house with Renesmee. If anyone knew where Leah was, it would have to be Jacob since he was the alpha of the pack and Leah was his beta.

"Hey Jake! Do you know where Leah is?" I asked.

Jacob was playing Monopoly with Renesmee, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. I quickly learned that Alice had a gift for seeing the future, and Edward could read minds, so they usually weren't invited to play games.

"I don't know, man. Leah usually does her own thing when she's on patrol. You know I don't give 'orders'" Jacob said.

"Yeah, I know. Alright, I'm just going to look around. Maybe I'll run into her. See you guys."

"See you" they all said, but I doubted they realized I had left. They were all engrossed in the game.

I knew Leah's circuit, so I decided to start by following that path. It wasn't long before I noticed her scent led in a direction she normally didn't go. I noticed that the scent was still fresh, so I knew she must be close. Her scent led me deep in the woods, deeper than I had ever been. What was she doing all the way out here? I didn't notice any other scent that might be threatening, so I knew she wasn't in any danger. A thought occurred to me. What if she was meeting a lover? I saw red, and every muscle in my body tensed up in preparation for a fight. _She was mine_. If I saw her in the arms of someone else, she would pay and he would be dead.

It took me a few moments to calm down. _Get a grip, Jensen!_ I shook my head, and took a deep breath to chase away the lingering fury I felt at the thought of Leah with a lover. I continued following her scent, and then I noticed a tent tucked against the side of a hill. It only took me a second to run to the tent and unzip the door flap. I don't know why I was so anxious to see her. The thought that she might be with a lover popped into my head again, and I felt myself start to snarl, when I noticed she was alone. In fact, she was alone, naked, and she seemed to be in pain.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jensen?! Get out!!" She gasped and curled up into a fetal position.

I instantly became alarmed. What was wrong with her? I stepped into the tent, zipped up the door flap, and went to her side. The heat emanating from her body was scorching, and her heart was racing. She was softly moaning to herself and rocking back and forth.

"Leah, what's wrong? Are you sick? What are you doing all the way out here? Should I go get Jacob?" I asked urgently.

Her eyes widened in panic and she screamed "NO! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GET JACOB AND DON'T LET ANYONE FROM MY PACK NEAR ME! THEY CAN'T SEE ME LIKE THIS!" Then she closed her eyes and continued to moan.

I didn't know what to do. A memory of my mother touching my forehead when I was sick as a child came to mind, so I reached over her to place my hand on her forehead. She immediately groaned. I realized how my stone cold hand must feel to her heated forehead, but just as I was about to withdraw my hand, she quickly grabbed a hold of it and dragged my hand down her body and held my hand against her groin. I left my hand there more out of shock than anything else. Her flesh was burning, but I also noticed a distinct throbbing generating from the core of her body. She slowly started rocking back and forth against my hand, and the source of her ailment suddenly dawned on me. She was in heat! She started to pant, and I knew her climax was near. I slowly rubbed my hand against her, in counterpoint to her gyrations, and that sent her over the edge. Her entire body tensed up and then she sighed and relaxed against my hand.

Her eyes suddenly flew open. "Oh my GOD! What are you doing here? Get out!" she screamed.

"Actually, it looks like you need me here."

"No, I don't want you here! Please for the love of God, LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed at me again as she tried to scoot away from me.

There wasn't much room in the tent, especially while I was in it, so she couldn't scoot too far away from me. She closed her eyes again, and turned away from me. She tried to muffle a moan, but I could tell by the tension emanating from her body that the fever in her blood was far from extinguished. I knew then that I couldn't leave her alone. She needed me whether she liked it or not. A little voice inside of me acknowledged that I was also taking shameful advantage of the fact that she was in heat, but hey, I would play the hand fate dealt me.

Her body temperature was so high, and it seemed to relive her somewhat when my cold hand touched her. I started to take my clothes off. She whirled around when she heard the sound of my clothes sliding off my body.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she gasped.

"Relax. I'm going to make you feel better" I said as the last article of clothing I wore slipped off my body.

Her eyes were wide, and she impossibly flushed even more. "Wh--, What do you mean?" she practically whispered.

I chuckled knowing where her thoughts were going. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do, but your body temperature is raging out of control, and I'm going to help you cool off."

I reached towards her, giving her ample opportunity to dodge my hands, but she stood still. When my hands gripped her waist, she sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned towards me. I lowered our bodies to the floor, and adjusted her body to fit more comfortably against mine. Dear Lord in heaven! Her body was exquisite!! I gritted my teeth and swallowed convulsively as venom flooded my mouth.

"Doesn't that feel better?" I asked after a while to try to distract my thoughts.

"Yesss . . ." she murmured. Suddenly, her body started to gyrate again, and I knew what she needed. "Oh no!" she said mortified.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll be here as long as you need me" I said as my hand ran down her back, past the flare of her hip, and towards the area where she needed me the most.


	6. Chapter 6 Explanations

Please let this all be a dream. Please, please, oh please let this be a dream! I was terrified to open my eyes, but I knew sooner or later I would have to face what awaited me. I slowly opened my eyes, and there he was.

"Hey there beautiful" he said with a grin.

I closed my eyes again and groaned. "Can you leave me alone now?"

When he didn't answer, I hoped he actually listened to me and left, but I knew I wasn't that lucky. I opened my eyes again, and found him staring at me intently. He no longer was grinning and I noticed he was fully dressed again.

"Leah . . . we should talk"

"Jensen, I'm embarrassed enough as it is. Can we talk another time?"

"I'm not dumb, Leah. As soon as I leave, you're never going to talk to me about what just happened between us."

My mind started racing. What _did_ happen between us? I was so consumed with need and heat that I wasn't sure what really did happen.

"Just tell me one thing. Please just tell me that we didn't fuck" I used the crude word to antagonize him, but oddly, it sent a jolt to my system.

"What do you think we did?" he countered, though I did detect a hint of irritation in his voice.

I was angry. Why didn't he leave me alone when I asked him to? Why did he have to go and find me? I knew I was being unreasonable because he was my soul mate after all, but I was too afraid that he would find out that I had imprinted on him. And the fear brought conviction to the anger in my voice.

"You know what? I don't care what we did! Just leave me the fuck alone!"

He narrowed his eyes, and I could see that he was finally angry.

"You ungrateful little bitch" he said, and left the tent.

I lay in the tent, biting my lip so I wouldn't call him back. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I let them fall silently. I did the right thing. He could never know that I imprinted on him. He wouldn't even understand what that means. It really was better for me to run him off, then to let a relationship build between us. Since I had no choice on who I imprinted on, I at least wanted a choice on whether or not I would pursue the relationship. I decided being alone was better than being rejected. So I would not give Jensen the opportunity to reject me. And, God help me, he will never know the true power he has over me.

* * *

I stayed in my tent for another couple of days to make sure the heat was completely over. I didn't want to take any chances with my pack mates. Although the majority of them had imprinted already, I didn't know how they would react to me being in heat. The first thing I needed to do was to talk to Jacob, and let him know what was going on with me. So I went looking for Jacob on his usual route since I knew he would be on patrol. When I finally found him, I asked him to phase back to his human form so we could talk. I waited while he got changed behind a tree.

"What's up, Leah? Where have you been?"

"Um, I've been sort of camping."

"So, what's up? What did you want to talk about?"

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out. Don't get all weird on me, k? I went into heat, and that's why I haven't been around this past week"

"You're not serious, are you?"

"Why would I make something like that up?"

"Wow. Hmm, I don't know what to say."

"Look. I'm just letting you know so you don't wonder where I am every month when I disappear. Also, can you make sure no one tries to find me during that time of the month?"

"Oh yeah! Jensen was looking for you. Did he find you?"

"Yeah, he found me, but I don't think he'll be looking for me again" I said morosely. "I'll be on patrol in about an hour."

"Sure, sure. See ya" Jacob said and ran off to phase.

* * *

I saw red. How could he do this to me, that son of a bitch!! As was my habit, I went looking for Jensen during my patrol to spy on him, and to see if he was still angry at me. I finally saw him through the front window of the Cullens' house, and that bastard had his arm around Tanya. I knew Tanya from her previous visits, and I knew she was like a cousin to the Cullens, but I wanted to tear her apart. What was she doing here? Why was his arm around that bitch!?!


	7. Chapter 7 Cabin

It was pouring rain. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling of the cabin, listening to the patter of the raindrops. I was alone for the moment, since Tanya went up to the house. Try as I might, I could not escape the anger that consumed me every time I thought of my last encounter with Leah. I thought that I would be distracted enough with Tanya being here to forget my whole infatuation with Leah completely. However, I underestimated the depth of my feelings for the shape shifter. She more than intrigued me. She more than inspired my lust. I never actually had to pursue a woman before. Not even in my human life. I guess you could say I was spoiled where women were concerned. It was almost funny that the one woman I did want didn't want me.

However, when I replayed in my mind what happened between us in the tent, I just knew she _had_ to be bluffing when she said she wanted me to leave her alone. I closed my eyes to better visualize the scenes replaying in my mind. As I held Leah in my arms, she clung to me like she would never let me go. When she looked into my eyes, I saw adoration, not disdain. As much as I wanted to make love to her, I knew I didn't want our first time to be when she was in heat. I wanted her to want me in mind as well as in body. So, I gave her orgasm after orgasm with just my hands and my mouth. After each orgasm, I held her and soothed her. Those moments meant more to me than anything else in my life so far.

When the fever in her blood diminished, I assumed our relationship would change for the better. I wanted her with me always, and I was ready to declare myself. I also assumed she felt the same way about me. However, I did not expect her hostility and anger. It was like a slap to my face. I stormed out of her tent angry and confused.

I went up to the house to talk to Carlisle. I liked talking to him because he was so compassionate and wise. When I arrived at the house, I was completely surprised to find Tanya there. Apparently, she was bored, so she came down from Alaska to visit. As soon as I saw her, a plan began to form in my mind. Maybe if Leah saw me with Tanya, it would force her to realize she had feelings for me. It was a childish plan, but I was so angry with Leah that I didn't care.

So, I spent every moment I could with Tanya, hoping Leah would see us. Tanya even stayed with me in my cabin. The first night with Tanya was awkward because she assumed we would just fall back to our regular routine. She was a little hurt that I didn't want to have sex with her. I explained my situation to her, and she seemed excited that I had found someone to love, though I could see in her eyes that she was sad. I must admit that it never occurred to me that I would be able to make Tanya sad because I knew how much she loved Edward. I supposed that she loved me too in her own way. Nevertheless, she understood what I was trying to do with my plan, and she was willing to help in any way she could. Unfortunately, after the one time Leah did see me and Tanya together, she never came around again. I don't know why, but this made me even angrier. I had never met anyone so stubborn.

I sighed. Maybe it was time for me to leave for a while. Maybe if I was gone long enough, my anger and frustration would subside. I tuned into the sound of the patter of raindrops again. I don't know how long I listened to the rain before I detected the sound of a heartbeat. I knew who it was. I was intimately familiar with this heartbeat. I lay on the bed, letting my feelings overwhelm me. All of my hurt, anger, frustration, confusion, and desire filled my entire being. Then I was out the door in a flash. I was going to hell anyway. Might as well have fun along the way.

* * *

I was in complete predator mode. She was my prey. As soon as she heard the door to my cabin open, she bolted. I tracked her scent easily. She was fast, but I was faster. I caught up to her before she reached the river. She was in her wolf form, but I didn't let that stop me. I immediately attacked. I grabbed a hold of her, and like our first meeting, she phased into her human form.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

I decided not to answer her. Her naked body was slippery because of the rain, but I kept my grip on her, though she tried to wriggle free. I ran back to my cabin with my captive, and roughly threw her on the bed. She lay stunned.

"Go ahead . . . scream" I said menacingly.

With her eyes still on me, I slowly undressed.

"What do you think you're doing? Have you gone crazy?" she gasped as I approached her. Once my weight hit the bed, she bolted to the other side. I quickly grabbed her ankle, and dragged her body back to the center of the bed.

"We have some unfinished business" I said as I grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms over her head. Her legs were thrashing, so I quickly clamped her legs with mine.

"If you're doing what I think you're doing, you're going to have to rape me" she yelled.

"Do you think I won't?" I laughed mockingly down at her.

She tried to twist her body away, but without the use of her hands and legs, she had no leverage. I lowered my face to her neck, and kissed her there. Her body became still. I kissed along her jaw line, down the column of her neck, and across her collarbone. Slowly, I shifted both of her hands into one of my hands, so I had a free hand to touch her. I traced my hand down her face, over the curve of her breast, and along her stomach.

"No! Don't!" she yelled again as my hand started to trace the shape of her femininity.

Then it became clear to me. Her resistance was an act. I chuckled as I felt the wetness between her legs. She wanted me.

"You're such a little liar" I said as I released her hands and legs.

She lay there motionless for a moment, and then to my great surprise instead of fleeing the cabin she reached for me and kissed me. Her hands were gripping my head and her fingers were threaded in my hair. I kissed her back with all the passion that had been building up inside me. She spread her legs, and her thighs cradled my body. I broke off the kiss and stared into her eyes. Then I slowly thrust myself deep into her core, never breaking eye contact. Her flesh tightened around my cock, and she was so warm. I had never felt warmth like this before. Once I was fully seated within her, we both groaned.

"Long and hard" she whispered.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I want you to make love to me long and hard" she said simply.

Without bothering to reply, I started to thrust into her, slowly at first, than harder and harder. She met me thrust for thrust, and soon we were both panting harshly. The pleasure was unbelievable. I felt venom flood my mouth, and I felt the urge to bite her. To control myself, I concentrated on my rhythm. In, out, in, out . . .faster, harder . . .

All too soon, I felt her body start to contract and I knew she had reached her climax. The feel of her throbbing around my cock was almost unbearable. The sensation was incredible. Before I could reach my climax, I pulled out of her, stroked myself once, twice, and a third time before I erupted on the sheets of the bed.

I lay next to her, listening to her heartbeat slow down. I was euphoric.

"That was amazing" I said.

"But not without a fight" she whispered. That was when I realized she was crying.


	8. Chapter 8 Dream

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! They totally made my day!**

"Leah, what's wrong" Jensen asked with such concern that more tears slipped from my eyes. _I'm soo stupid_! I berated myself. How could I have let myself go like that!?! I grit my teeth. Damn my traitorous body! I will make fucking sure I never slip up again.

I sighed, turned towards him and said, "There's nothing wrong. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed."

Seeming satisfied with my answer, Jensen lay back down, and pulled me to his side. I was still angry at myself, but I knew better than to take my anger out on Jensen again. We were silent, just listening to the rain and wind. It would be so easy to just let go of my guard. But I knew how this would end, before it even began. I sighed again. I was so tired, so I closed my eyes, and slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

_I was so excited I could hardly contain myself! Emily was coming! I haven't seen her in so long, but we talked religiously over the phone. When we were younger people used to think we were sisters. I really wished that she were my sister. Instead I got stuck with Seth. Oh well, none of that mattered! All that mattered was that I was going to be seeing Emily today!_

_I heard the knock on the front door of my house, and I flew out of my room to open it before anyone else could. It wasn't Emily on the other side of the door, but it was my most favorite person in the whole world, so I couldn't be disappointed._

_"Sam!" I said, right before I launched myself into his arms._

_He chuckled and said, "Wow, I should come over more often."_

_Because I couldn't help myself, I grabbed a hold of his face, and kissed him. I loved his bottom lip, so I immediately claimed it and sucked it into my mouth._

_"Ew! Gross! Get a room" I heard Seth say behind me._

_I broke off the kiss, spun around, and glared at my brother._

_"Mind your own business, twerp."_

_Seth rolled his eyes, and sauntered into the kitchen._

_I pulled Sam into the house, and we sat in the living room. I was still so excited; I was practically bouncing on the couch. Sam, Emily, and I were going to go down to the beach and meet up with some friends. Sam promised he would show us how to cliff dive. I had seen Sam and his friends doing it, and it looked exhilarating. I knew Emily would have a good time._

_"So, when's your cousin supposed to get here?"_

_"Any minute now. I'm soo excited, Sam! Now, we have to remember not to make her feel uncomfortable. I don't want her to feel like a third wheel, so we have to calm down on all the PDAs, okay?"_

_Sam saluted me and said, "Aye, aye Captain!"_

_At that moment, the front door swung open, and a familiar figure came into view._

_"I'm here!" Emily yelled._

_I jumped off the couch and practically tackled Emily. "I'm soo glad you're finally here!"_

_Then we stepped back from each other and just stared, looking at the changes the years had made to our bodies and faces._

_"Wow, Em, you are gorgeous!"_

_"Jeez, Leah, I don't know how you can say that when you look like a supermodel! How tall are you anyway?"_

_"I know, it's shocking. I must be 5' 9", but I hope this growth spurt stops. Luckily, my boyfriend is tall too. Which reminds me . . . " I turned towards Sam, and was startled to find he was right behind me. He was staring at Emily, and he had a strange expression on his face. He looked dazed. To snap him out of it I introduced him to Emily._

_"Um, Sam, this is my cousin Emily. Emily this is my boyfriend Sam."_

_Emily blushed and looked down from Sam's intense stare. "It's nice to meet you Sam" she said, and peeked at him from under her lashes._

_I stared at the two of them wondering at the sudden electricity that filled the air. What the fuck is going on?_

_"Hmmm, okay . . . why don't we go to the beach? Sam promised to teach us how to cliff dive. Come on, I'll show you where you can put your things, and we'll head on out"_

_Suddenly, Sam snapped out of his daze and said, "Leah, I have to go. Sorry" and ran out._

_What the hell? I stood, staring at Sam's retreating back. I could feel myself flush, and I turned towards Emily to see her reaction. She, too, was staring at Sam's retreating back._

_"Um, sorry Em. I don't know what Sam's problem is. We could still go to the beach, if you want."_

_"It's okay, Leah. I'm fine just hanging out here at your house. Let's go to your room and catch up" Emily said quietly._

_The next day was the worst day of my life. I slept in because Emily and I were up late talking. When I woke up, I realized Emily was gone. Thinking she was already in the kitchen eating breakfast, I headed that way. Seth was there as usual, but no Emily._

_"She's not here" Seth said._

_"Where did she go?"_

_"I don't know. Someone knocked on the door, and then she grabbed her jacket and took off."_

_A suspicion crept into my mind, so I turned to the phone and dialed Sam's number. The phone rang a couple of times, and then I heard Sam's mother's voice when she picked up._

_"Hello"_

_"Hi, it's Leah. Can I talk to Sam?"_

_"Oh, Hi Leah. Sam's not here. Do you want to leave a message?"_

_My heart sank into my stomach, and it was suddenly hard for me to breath. I took a couple of deep breaths to make sure my voice sounded steady._

_"No . . . no message. Thank you" I said and hung up the phone._

_I stood there, with my hand still on the phone, and my mind racing. Sam and Emily couldn't be together. They just met yesterday! Sam wouldn't do that to me. Emily wouldn't do that to me. I slowly walked out of the kitchen and back to my room. I got ready for the day and refused to entertain my imagination. When Emily still had not returned, I decided I would go and look for her. I walked around the reservation, and when I didn't see her, I decided she might have gone down to the beach. As I got closer to the beach, I noticed a couple sitting next to each other on one of the driftwoods that littered the coast. Even from a distance, I knew it was Sam and Emily. I stopped walking as my heart started to pound and my breathing started to come out in gasps. No! No!!! This had to be some joke! After a few minutes of staring at them, I became filled with determination. I ran the rest of the way to them, and they glanced up when they heard my approach._

_"What the fuck is going on?" I yelled at them. I knew I was flushed from my anger, and I could feel myself breathing harshly. I stood aggressively with my hands clenched at my sides, ready to do battle._

_Sam stood up, and he had an anguished look on his face. He stepped towards me, and when it looked like Emily was going to stand too, he turned towards her and told her to stay._

_"Leah, we need to talk" he said calmly when he was facing me again._

_"No Shit Sherlock! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"_

_"Leah . . . can we sit down and talk like adults?"_

_"Don't use that fucking condescending voice with me! Just tell me what's going on?"_

_"Leah, I'm sorry but we're over" Sam said bluntly._

_Suddenly, my bravado wavered. My eyes started to burn, and I could feel the tears threatening to fall._

_"What!?! Why?? How can you say that? We love each other!" I practically whimpered._

_I could see the pain on Sam's face, and I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this was some sort of misunderstanding!_

_"I was in love with you Leah, but something happened to me that is more powerful than love. I can't explain it to you, but trust me. We are over." Sam quietly said, turned, and sat down next to Emily again. She looked at me, and for a second I thought she was going to get up and come to me, but then I saw Sam's arm around her, keeping her seated._

_I stared at them for a moment, while Sam's words registered in my mind. Then all I wanted was escape. I turned around and started running. I had no destination is mind. I just kept running until I had no more strength to run. I finally tripped and fell. I didn't even bother to get up. I curled into a ball and cried where I lay. I must have cried for hours because when I finally picked myself off the ground I realized it was dark and raining. I was numb, and the only thought I had was that no one even came to look for me._

* * *

"Leah, wake up. You're having a bad dream."

I softly moaned as the angelic voice filtered into my sub-consciousness, but then someone was gently nudging my shoulder, and I woke up. I blinked a few times wondering where I was. Then it all came back to me. I was in Jensen's cabin, and I had fallen asleep_._

The dream was still lingering in my mind, but that was because it wasn't just a dream. It was more like a memory because that is exactly what had happened on that fateful day that Sam had imprinted on my cousin. I didn't know at the time that Sam had imprinted, but since I had imprinted I could now understand how he was able to break up with me.

It still didn't mean that I was ready to let Jensen know I had imprinted on him. I never wanted to feel the pain and anguish that I had felt the day that Sam broke up with me. Jensen seemed to like me enough right now, but Sam was in love with me and look how that turned out. Besides, vampires didn't imprint and they were easily distracted. No, I couldn't let him know he was my soul mate, but I was self-fish. I would take what he wanted to give, and try to be strong enough to let him go whenever he decided to leave.


	9. Chapter 9 Tanya

"Where do you think you're going?" I muttered as Leah rose from the bed and headed towards the door of the cabin.

Was this going to be another round of oops-got-too-close-so-I-have-to-run episodes? I felt myself getting angry again.

"I'm still on patrol, Jensen. I have to go."

"Oh, then I'll go with you."

"No, stay. I need some time to myself anyway" Leah said with a wry smile.

I stayed quiet for a moment, trying to gauge how she was really feeling. I knew there was something bothering her. She cried after we made love, and then she cried in her sleep. I hated to see the tears in her eyes. If she would let me, I would fight off all of her demons.

"Tell me what's wrong Leah" I said in my most persuasive tone.

She sighed, and looked away. When she answered I knew she had fabricated something to appease me.

"I told you. There's nothing wrong. I'm just overwhelmed. I am not running away from you, Jensen. I just need some time to adjust. Please understand."

"Okay. I'll give you your space, but you're mine now, Leah. Don't deny that and don't forget it."

If I wasn't studying her face so intently I would have missed the brief flash of mutiny on her face when I declared the fact that she was mine now. But, then her face smoothed out and she nodded her head once.

"Yes, I'm your's. I will come back to you after my patrol, so please just let me go, okay?"

I sighed and said, "Okay" then she walked out of the cabin.

I lay back down on the bed feeling a mixture of triumph and dread. She didn't dispute my claim that she was mine, but she didn't seem happy about it either. She had to be the most frustrating woman I had ever met. But still, I wouldn't have her any other way.

The cabin felt empty after her departure, so I dressed myself and went up to the house. I needed a distraction to occupy my mind. Tanya was there anyway, and I wanted to talk to her.

The rain had stopped, and as I approached the house, I noticed Edward sitting on the porch. He was alone, which in itself was a rarity. He was usually with either Bella or Renessmee.

"Hey Edward. What's going on?"

"Hello Jensen. Bella, Renessmee, and Alice are in town shopping for the party, and I decided to stay behind. Although I'm now regretting my decision since Tanya decided to stay as well. I was actually wondering where you were so you could take Tanya off my hands" Edward said with a grin.

"Oh! Ha! I didn't think she would bother you. I was coming up to talk to her anyway" I said, as a thought suddenly occurred to me. "Um, Edward, do you think you could do me a favor? I normally wouldn't ask this of you, but I'm at a loss at what to do" I paused because what I was about to ask him was highly inappropriate. But I had to have some reassurances and some direction of what I should do with Leah. "Edward, do you think you could talk to Leah, and . . . " I took a deep breath "Read her mind to see what's bothering her. There's something wrong, but she won't tell me what it is and it's driving me crazy."

Edward's smooth brow furrowed and his golden topaz eyes sharpened on my face. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence, as he contemplated my request. _Jensen, you're a jackass_, I silently told myself and wished I could take back my request. Suddenly, Edward smiled and I knew he heard me calling myself a jackass.

"Jensen, you know that wouldn't be right. Besides, this is something you and Leah need to work out together. Trust me; you don't want to know everything she's thinking."

I grinned and laughed at myself. "Sorry Edward. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. So, how are party plans coming along?" I asked to ease any discomfort my request might have caused.

Edward shook his head and smiled ruefully. "You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but this is only Renessmee's 5th birthday. I honestly can't believe my daughter has grown so much. Humans don't know how lucky they are that their babies grow slowly. Pretty soon Bella and I will have to claim that Renessmee is a cousin or something to the public instead of our adopted daughter. In any case, Alice is taking the reins on planning this party, and if you know Alice, this will turn out as more of a fiesta than a birthday party."

I did notice that Renessmee seemed to grow more quickly than average human children. It was very interesting to learn about the half human half vampire child, although 'child' was a loose term when describing what Renessmee was. She looked more like a preteen than a five year old. As I thought about Renessmee, I couldn't help it when my thoughts turned towards the possibility of having a child with Leah. I never thought about having children, especially once I became a vampire. What would it be like to have a child with Leah? The child would most certainly be the only one of its existence, since vampires and werewolves/shape shifters were natural enemies, and therefore would never have the kind of relationship that me and Leah had. Would Leah and I even be able to have a child, I wondered.

"You know, that would be very interesting. Not that I'm encouraging you to get Leah pregnant, but imagine what kind of abilities your child would have!" Edward said with a wide grin.

"Hey!" I chuckled "Why is it okay for you to read my mind, and not Leah's?"

Edward laughed with me and said, "You practically shouted that thought at me with your excitement at the possibility!"

"Touché" I said with a grin. As much as I was enjoying my conversation with Edward, I knew I needed to talk to Tanya as well. So, I sighed, told Edward I would talk to him later, and entered the house.

The Cullens' house was beautiful and comfortable at the same time. The family was welcoming and I was grateful that they allowed me to visit with them, especially since I wasn't ready to leave Leah. Knowing Leah, she wouldn't leave her pack, or this area, so I had to consider what I would do. Would I be allowed to stay here indefinitely? The idea had a tremendous amount of appeal. It had been so long since I last saw my family, and the idea of being a part of the Cullen family was very tempting. Not that they invited me to stay, but they haven't asked me to leave either. I decided once I was more secure with my situation with Leah, I would talk to Carlisle.

I wandered the house, looking for Tanya. Jasper and Emmett were not home. They were probably hunting, and I remembered seeing Rosalie in the garage working on her car when I came up to the house. I said hello to Carlisle as I passed his study, and made my way to the kitchen. Esme was preparing dinner for the wolves as usual, and that is where I found Tanya.

"Hey Tanya, want to get something to eat?" I asked. I didn't really need to hunt, but I figured it wouldn't hurt. I remembered my urge to bite Leah when we were having sex, and I wanted to curb that urge as much as possible, even if it meant that I would have to glut myself on blood.

She smiled brightly and said, "Sure."

Giving Esme a wave as we left, Tanya and I headed out to the forest behind the house. We didn't talk as we both gave ourselves over to our senses in order to hunt. The game in the forest wasn't exciting, since it was mostly deer and elk, but it would suffice. After we were done feeding, I led Tanya over to a meadow so I could talk to her. When we reached the meadow, I turned towards her, and grasped both of her hands. I could tell that she knew that there was something on my mind because she stayed quiet and allowed me to be the one to break the silence.

As I stared down at her, I took in her beauty and remembered her passion. It would not be hard for her to find someone new to distract her from her love for Edward. I didn't know exactly how deep her affection was for me, but I knew it was deeper than she had felt for any of her human lovers. I would be eternally grateful to her for teaching me about this new life and sharing her passion with me. But as I looked down at her, I couldn't feel more for her than affection. This only solidified my feelings for Leah.

"Tanya, you can't stay in my cabin anymore. Leah and I . . . well, I'm not exactly sure what we are right now, but she's agreed to stay with me. Thank you for your part in my little plan" I told her gently.

Tanya stared up at me, and then she brought one of her hands up to cup my cheek.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" she whispered.

"Yes, I'm sure" I said, and then I turned my head and planted a kiss on the palm of her hand.

"I'm very happy for you then. I will go back home tonight. I will miss you, love. Take care" she said. Then she slowly raised herself up on her tiptoes, and brushed her cool lips against mine. Suddenly, both of her arms were wrapped around my neck and I felt the pressure of her tongue against my lips. My body froze, but I instinctively placed my hands on her hips.

"Think of this as a goodbye kiss" Tanya murmured as she brought her mouth against mine again.

Because I didn't want to hurt her more than I already had, I wrapped my arms firmly around her waist and kissed her back.


	10. Chapter 10 Cain

As soon as I left Jensen's cabin, I phased into my wolf form. It was so easy to forget that I had a life outside of Jensen. I had an obligation to my pack and I was determined to make sure my life didn't change any more than it already had. I decided not to spy on Jensen during my patrol. I really did mean it when I said I needed some time by myself.

I started on my usual circuit around the Cullens' land and ran towards La Push. As I neared the La Push borders, I decided to eat something. I _hated_ eating in my wolf form, but I didn't want to go into the reservation to eat either. So, I resigned myself to eating whatever I could find in the forest. Luckily, I spotted some deer drinking from the river, so I was able to clean up after I ate.

I phased into my human form because I found it was easier to clean myself in my human body instead of my wolf body. As I waded into the river to wash myself, I tried to not think about the past few hours with Jensen, but it was difficult to beat down the images. I _hated_ being so weak where he was concerned! I _never_ cried in front of anyone, and I had cried in front him. I had never felt jealous, desire, or passion the way I did for him.

I wondered if I would have been so drawn to Jensen if I hadn't imprinted on him. I closed my eyes and pictured his face in my mind. His smile was definitely the best feature on his face. His deep dimples, full lips, and rumpled brown hair added a boyish charm to his otherwise masculine features. I don't know what he did in his previous life, but man, his body was glorious. He could easily have been a model for an underwear ad. It looked as if his muscles were earned through hard physical labor rather than lifting weights at the gym.

I sighed. The answer was probably yes . . . I would have been attracted to him even if I hadn't imprinted on him. It was hard to believe he didn't have a harem of women following him around. Oh, wait, there was Tanya, and she did follow him here. Something needed to be done about her. I decided I would have to hunt her down after my patrol so we could have a little chat.

The water was so soothing. There was a gentle breeze that caressed my skin, and I could hear birds cooing to each other. My body was sore and aching. A small smile formed as I thought about _why_ my body was sore and aching. I had only been intimate with one other man before. I had thought I knew what pleasure was with Sam, but being with Jensen was unlike anything I had felt before. It was beyond pleasure. Again, I wondered if I felt that way because I had imprinted on him, but I decided I didn't care. I still believed Jensen would leave me one day, but in the mean time I would enjoy his company and his sexy body.

I opened my eyes when I sensed I was no longer alone. I turned around and spotted one of Sam's wolves behind me. I sank lower into the river to hide my body from his view. I could tell by the color of his fur that it was Sam's cousin, Cain. He recently joined Sam's pack. I had never really talked to him because he always made me feel uncomfortable with his penetrating stare. Jacob's pack and Sam's pack both patrolled the boarders of La Push, so I would run into Cain from time to time, but I never ran into him when I had just phased to my human form; meaning I've never been naked in front of him. I must have lingered too long in the river. Damn it! If I hadn't been daydreaming about Jensen's fine body I would have already phased back to my wolf form and been on my way.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a scowl on my face.

He cocked his head to one side to study me I supposed, then he phased into his human form. He apparently had no problem being nude in front of me. Like all of our kind, he was tall and muscular. He was an attractive man, but there was a certain . . . ugliness about his features. I did not trust him.

"I was just taking a break from my patrol. I didn't know you would be here, Leah. Mind if I join you?"

"I was just leaving" I said curtly and I waited for him to at least turn his head so I could come out of the river. Instead, he just sat back on his haunches and grinned like an idiot. I had two choices: walk out of the river to phase or phase in the river. I debated my options while I stared Cain down. Finally, I decided that if I phased in the river Cain would most certainly think I was afraid of him. If there was one thing I've learned, it's to never show your vulnerability to a man. So, I gathered up my dignity and walked stiffly to the shore. As soon as my foot touched the shoreline, I phased and ran off. Behind me I could hear Cain chuckling.

I ran back to the Cullens' land. I didn't want to risk running into anyone else from Sam's pack. My encounter with Cain was very unsettling. I didn't like the look in his eyes when he was staring at me. I wasn't afraid of him, but I was wary of him. I would have to be more careful when I patrolled the La Push borders.

To banish the creepy feeling that Cain caused, I shook myself from head to toe. My patrol was almost over now, so I headed back to Jensen's cabin. A quick glance in the window showed that he wasn't there, so I headed up to the house. I could tell he wasn't there either. I figured he might have gone hunting, so I decided to phase back to my human form and get dressed. As I was getting dressed, I heard Jensen's voice. He was talking to someone. Even though I told myself I wouldn't spy on him, the urge was too hard to resist. I quickly followed the sound of his voice to a meadow. I could see that he was with Tanya. As I watched, I heard him telling her that she couldn't stay in his cabin anymore. I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. I wouldn't have to hunt Tanya down after all. Jensen was breaking the news to her. I almost did a little dance when I heard Tanya say she would be going back home tonight.

But then it happened. That bitch leaned in and kissed Jensen, and damn his black soul, he was kissing her back! I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself, and I reminded myself that he _did_ tell her he wanted to be with me. When the kiss didn't end, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and walked into the clearing.


	11. Chapter 11 Talk

Leah was nearby. I could smell her, and I knew that Tanya could smell her as well because I felt her lips turn up in a smile. Just as I was about to break the kiss, I heard Leah clapping her hands.

"Bravo. Excellent show. I'm glad I didn't miss it" she said mockingly.

I sighed and turned towards Leah. I expected Leah to attack, but she stood still a few feet from Tanya and me.

"I was just leaving to go back to Alaska, Leah. It was very nice to see you again. Take care" Tanya said courteously.

Leah narrowed her eyes at Tanya, and I could hear a low growl emanating from her throat. I prepared myself to step between the two women to prevent a fight. However as Tanya walked past Leah, Leah just stood her ground and glared at Tanya as Tanya strode by her.

When Tanya left the clearing, I knew that I was in for it. Although the kiss I gave Tanya was completely innocent and devoid of any passion, I knew Leah would not see it that way. Leah slowly turned to me and came to me so that we stood toe to toe. I wished that I knew what to say to break the uncomfortable silence between us.

Before I could say anything however, Leah narrowed her eyes at me and slapped me with such force that if I were human, I was sure I would have a couple of teeth knocked out. Then before I could recover from her blow, she grabbed my face and kissed me.

I was still stunned by her slap, so I didn't respond right away. Once my bewildered mind recovered, my body reacted to her. I returned her kiss, pushing against her lips with my tongue. I grabbed her hips and brought her body closer to mine. Our tongues battled, and her hands twisted in my hair. We both fought for dominance, neither one of us giving an inch. My hands fisted on her hips, and then I relaxed them to slip them around her hips to grip the soft roundness of her ass. I groaned as I massaged the supple globes.

Suddenly, Leah broke the kiss, panting.

"I'm your's, but don't _you_ ever forget that you're mine" she hissed.

I grinned down at her. She really was adorable when she was angry. I found her emotions fascinating. One moment she's ready to kill me, and the next moment she's ready to make love. However, there was one emotion that I wanted to see. I've never seen her happy. The smile died on my face as I came to this realization. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to see her smile up at me. I wanted to hear her laugh.

I ran my hand down the length of her arm, and took her hand in mine.

"Yes, I'm your's" I said quietly, and then I smiled at the surprised look in her eyes. Did she think I would answer differently? There was so much that I didn't know about Leah, and I decided that needed to change immediately.

"Come on. Let's get out of here" I said, tugging her hand. Since she didn't resist, I led the way back to my cabin. She remained silent the entire way.

As soon as we were in my cabin, I released her hand and strode over to the bed. I turned towards her, and I noticed she hadn't moved from her spot at the doorway. She stared at me for a moment, and then her hands went to the hem of her shirt as if to pull it off. I was at her side in a flash, placing my hand on her hands to stop her movement.

"No, Leah. You don't have to get undressed. I brought you here so we could relax and talk" I said gently.

"You want to talk?" Leah asked incredulously. For a brief moment, I detected a look cross her face that appeared to be disappointment. A part of me wanted to slap myself upside the head and just strip off my clothes as well as Leah's. But, I needed to show her that I wasn't a complete jackass only interested in sex. I genuinely wanted to talk to her. How else would I know what made her happy or what made her smile?

"Yes, I want to talk" I said as I led her to the bed. Once we were settled, I put my arm around her. She leaned into me and breathed deeply.

"You know . . . normally the scent of your kind would make me nauseous, but you smell heavenly" she said quietly.

I chuckled and said, "Thanks . . . I think."

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked hesitantly.

I thought about it for a moment, and I decided to go for the easy questions first.

"What do you do for fun? I mean, I know you go to work and then you do your patrol, but don't you get any time off?"

"Fun?" she sighed, "To be honest, I haven't had fun in a long time."

I thought about that for a moment, and it saddened me. She turned to look at me when I didn't respond, and she snorted.

"Hey, don't look like that. I'm just too busy to have fun. You weren't around a couple years back when the Cullens' were at war. It became a necessity for me to grow up fast to protect my tribe's lands."

"How did your pack become involved in the Cullens' war?"

"Don't you know? Jacob and Bella are BFFs" she said with a shrug.

I thought I detected a note of bitterness in her tone, and a horrible thought occurred to me.

"Were you and Jacob . . . together?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

Then it happened. The most beautiful sound in the world. Leah started laughing! It sounded musical with a slight huskiness that was sexy as hell.

"No, Jacob and I were not together!" she snorted again as she shook her head.

I smiled crookedly, enjoying her amusement. I learned a lot about the Cullen family dynamics from Carlisle, but nothing really about the shape shifters other than the fact that there were two packs: Jacob's and Sam's. I also knew the names of every shape shifter in those packs, but had yet to meet anyone from Sam's pack besides Sam himself.

"So, tell me more about your pack" I asked curiously.

"Well, you know Jacob and Seth, and you met Embry and Quil. Embry and Quil are Jacob's best friends. They've been friends ever since they were toddlers. You already know Seth is my brother. He's another reason why I hang out around the Cullens' land so much. He idolizes Edward."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Well, you know that war I was talking about . . . Edward and Seth teamed up to protect Bella from a couple of sadistic vampires who were out to kill her. Seth killed the male vampire, who was really just a newborn, while Edward killed the female."

"Edward killed a female!?! That doesn't sound like him, even if the female was a vampire. He seems too much of a gentleman."

"Trust me . . . this female was no lady. She was tougher to kill than the male. In fact, she created an entire army of newborn vampires to fight against the Cullens, but she wasn't careful with her newborns, and they had a little murder spree in Seattle before they came to Forks. They all needed to die."

Suddenly it dawned on me, and a part of me cringed. Some higher power must have been looking down upon me the day I was created. I could have easily been one of those newborns that the shape shifters and the Cullens had killed.

"Was the female named Victoria?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Yeah, I think that was her name" Leah said and quirked her eyebrow when she noticed my grimace.

"Victoria was the one who created me. She wasn't with me when my transformation was completed. I guess she was off making new vampires. I'm sure glad I didn't stick around for her to come back for me, although at the time I wanted to find her."

Leah's eyes widened in surprised. Then she actually smiled! Her smile was stunning; it could easily have rivaled the sun for its brightness.

"Well, then. I thought I would never say this, but I'm glad Victoria was in Seattle creating an army of vampires!"

"Is that your way of telling me you like me?" I asked with a grin.

Leah playfully punched me on my shoulder and said, "Isn't it obvious? Or does your ego need for me to say it out loud?"

Needing to take advantage of Leah's playful mood, I quickly turned to pin her to the bed. She was startled, but she instinctively broke away from my grip and jumped off the bed. I followed suit and climbed off the bed, ready to pounce on her. She must have seen the intent in my eyes, and she quickly grasped that I was playing. So she crouched and sprang at me. I landed back on the bed with Leah straddeling my body. She was laughing again. The sight of her laughing and the feel of her body on top of me was extremely arousing. Leah leaned over me, and before her lips could connect with mine she whispered, "Now that was fun."


	12. Chapter 12 Cliff Diving

The days flew by in a whirlwind of late night lovemaking sessions, early morning talks, and work. I had never been happier in my entire life. It was a dream come true, and it was very easy for me to believe that this new routine could go on indefinitely. Yet deep down I knew there was someone up above who was toying with me, ready to yank the rug out from under my feet.

* * *

I slowly awoke to the feeling of full, sensual lips kissing their way from my neck down to my breasts. It was a dark night with no moon, yet I could still make out the silhouette of Jensen's head as he took one of my nipples into his mouth. I thought I would have gotten used to the sensation, but my body still shivered, my nipple tightening impossibly more, at the cool sensation of his mouth. I felt the gentle scrap of his teeth, and I felt another delicious shiver run through my body. Not because I was cold, but because it was exhilarating to feel the teeth that could easily kill me being used with such gentleness. It was highly erotic.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I moaned softly. He settled his body between my thighs, and his erection lay thickly along the folds of my sex. I lay motionless, though my entire body ached to lift upward into the weight and texture of him. He rocked his hips into mine, and I gasped as the length of his cock teased my clit. Dimly, I wondered why he didn't just enter me, but as his body surged against mine, I realized this was just as stimulating.

Suddenly, Jensen released my nipple and started kissing his way further down my body. He lingered at my belly button, circling its circumference with his tongue before making his way even further down. Once he reached his destination, he gently arranged my legs so that they draped over his wide shoulders. When he seemed to hesitate I opened my eyes and gazed down at his head between my thighs. I found that he was looking up at me, and when our eyes connected, he gave me the most seductive smile I had ever seen. I saw his tongue slide out from between his lips, and he slowly dragged the length of it against my clit, never breaking my gaze. I almost came at the sight, so I closed my eyes and bit my lip harder. I felt his tongue circling my clit, like he had circled my navel. Then his teeth gently scrapped my clit, like he had scrapped my nipple. His efforts were rewarded with the abundance of lubrication that filled my slit. Apparently that was his goal for he quickly slid his tongue lower to lap up the excess fluid my body produced.

My thighs began trembling against his shoulders at the feel of his cool tongue on my heated flesh, and when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, he slid the full length of his tongue into me and then he groaned. The deep vibrations from his throat that reverberated into my core were my undoing. I felt my pussy contract around his tongue, and I thrashed my head from side to side on the pillow, all the while moaning his name.

Before I could recover from my orgasm, he quickly flipped me onto my stomach, brought me up on all fours, and entered me from behind. We both groaned at the feel of the deep penetration this position provided. He stayed still for a second, both of us savoring the feeling of our bodies connected in this most primal position. Then he gripped my hips and started thrusting, slowly at first and then faster and harder until he was pounding against me. My second orgasm hit me and it seeped into every fiber of my body. I felt his arms come around me, and his hands closed over my breasts. His thumbs brushed my nipples back and forth, and he held my breasts as they jiggled with his every thrust.

"Cum for me again" he whispered in my ear. I was a little embarrassed as I groaned again and my body did just that.

Jensen thrust into me a couple more times, and then I heard him grunt as he pulled out of me and came on a towel he had brought to the bed. I felt my body go completely limp. My body was so relaxed and satiated that I felt myself drifting off to sleep again. I vaguely felt Jensen cleaning me off with the towel, and then I felt him gather me in his arms before I fell asleep.

* * *

"So, what are we doing today?"

I rolled my eyes because he had asked me the same question every morning for the past two weeks.

"I'm going to work and afterwards, I'll be on patrol, as usual."

"Leah, you need to take a break. You're always watching out for people, but you never watch out for yourself. Take a break."

I stayed quiet, thinking in my head that if I really wanted to watch out for myself I should stay away from Jensen, but instead of saying that thought out loud, I sighed and nodded my head. Jensen grinned, and I was able to shake away the brief negative thought at the sight of his dimples.

"Let me call the store to let them know I won't be coming in, then let's get dressed and go down by the cliffs near the beach. Sound like a plan?"

Jensen's grin got wider and he said, "Yes, ma'am" in a silly southern drawl that I couldn't help but giggle. I shook my head and was astounded once again at how imprinting on Jensen had made me such a . . . girl!

Once we were dressed we headed towards the cliffs near the beach. As we walked, Jensen asked me questions about my life. I had never talked so much about myself as I did in the past two weeks. It was easy to immerse myself in the conversation because Jensen was genuinely curious about me. I was extremely flattered to say the least. Thank God he never asked me about past boyfriends. I wasn't ready to tell him about Sam and the reason why we broke up. I was determined that he never find out about the whole imprinting business.

As we neared the cliffs, I almost groaned out loud. Up ahead, cliff diving, were Sam, Cain, and Paul. Jensen felt my sudden tension and he took hold of my hand.

"Do you want to go down to the beach instead?" Jensen asked quietly.

I shook my head no. I would not let this awkward situation get the best of me. Besides, I had always wanted to go cliff diving, and Jensen said he wanted to know what I did for fun. Cliff diving would be fun . . . I think.

"Have you ever went cliff diving?" I asked Jensen.

"Yeah, I have actually. I went with Jacob, Seth, Bella, and Edward once. Do you want to cliff dive?"

"Yes. I've never done it before, but it looks like fun."

As we got closer to Sam's group, Jensen called out a greeting.

"Hey Sam! Mind if we join you?"

"Hey Jensen! Yeah, sure, the water feels good" Sam said and glanced at me as we reached the group. I saw surprise flicker in his eyes as he stared at me. "Hey Leah" Sam said quietly. I inclined my head in acknowledgement of his greeting.

Sam cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Jensen. Jensen, I noticed was staring curiously at Cain and Paul.

"Jensen, that's Cain and Paul, my pack mates. Guys, this is Jensen. He's the vampire I was telling you about, the one that's staying at the Cullens'."

They all said "hey" and nodded their heads towards each other. It was all very amicable, but I felt agitated when Cain turned to stare at me. As he noticed my glare, he had the audacity to grin. Then he turned and took a running leap off the cliff into the ocean. Jensen was getting undressed, leaving only his boxer briefs on. I decided that since this was my idea, I had better get undressed as well, so I stripped down to my bra and underwear. Thank goodness I started wearing my good bras and panties once I started sleeping with Jensen.

"You ready?" Jensen asked with a smile.

I was nervous, but I nodded my head. Jensen threw a smile in my direction, and then took a running leap off the cliff. He was graceful, and I loved how his muscles rippled as he ran. I took a couple deep breaths to calm my nerves. As I was about to start running, a pair of male hands wrapped around my waist.

"Gottcha" Cain whispered in my ear.

Infuriated, I twisted around in his embrace and shoved the palm of my hand upward to hit his jaw, causing his head to snap back, and then brought my knee up to smash into his groin. He immediately doubled over in pain, but when he looked up at me, he was laughing!

After sending him a murderous glare, I turned and ran towards the ocean, leaping into the air when I reached the edge of the cliff.

I was right. Cliff diving was exhilarating! I was still pissed about Cain grabbing me, but the feel of the wind against my face and body was almost enough to make me forget the whole episode.

My body plunged into the ocean, and the water felt wonderful. When my head surfaced, I took a deep breath, and looked up at the cliff. I smiled when I recognized Jensen's figure looking down at me. I swam towards the cropping of rocks that would lead me back to the path that would take me back to the top of the cliff. I heard the splash Paul made as he drove into the ocean as I reached the rocks.

As I approached the group of guys, I noticed a tension emanating from Jensen. He stared at me with a strange look in his eyes. This confused me because he had seemed to be getting along fine with the rest of the guys. I slowed my walk and took a cursory glance in Sam and Cain's direction. Sam had a wary look in his eyes, while Cain's expression was smug. When my steps started to falter, Jensen walked the rest of the way to me.

"We need to talk. Now" he said, then he turned to gather his clothes and strode off towards the beach.

Astonished, I stared after him, and then I turned towards Sam and Cain.

"What the fuck did you guys say to him?" I demanded when I was sure Jensen was out of hearing range.

"I don't know what was said. I just came back in time to prevent Jensen from attacking Cain" Sam said.

"What did you say to him, Cain?" I hissed.

"Only that you were a nice piece of ass. Oh yeah, I might have mentioned how you must be a horny bitch to jump into my arms as soon as your man jumped off the cliff" Cain said with a chuckle.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" I yelled with my fists clenched at my sides.

Sam tried to hold Cain back as Cain strode slowly towards me, but Cain shook him off, muttering something that sounded like "I won't hurt her". When he reached me, he leaned down so that his eyes were level with mine.

"It's okay, baby, I know you want it. All you have to do is ask" Cain whispered.

I saw red, and then before he could pull away, I drew my arm back and punched him in the nose as hard as I could. I heard a satisfying crunch, as I heard Sam say "What the hell?!". Then I gathered up my clothes, and made my way towards the beach where I knew Jensen would be.

________________________________________________________________________

I found Jensen on the beach staring out at the ocean. I walked over to where he stood.

"Is it true? Were you in Cain's arms after I jumped off the cliff?"

"It wasn't like that Jensen. He grabbed me from behind. You of all people should know that appearances aren't always what they seem."

He stayed quiet for a few minutes, but I could see he was still angry as his jaw was clenched.

"I want to hear a yes or no answer for this question. I don't want to hear details or explanations. Were you in love with Sam?"

I felt my heart sink into my stomach. Of course it didn't matter whether or not I had been in love with Sam because I had _imprinted_ on Jensen. I battled with myself because I didn't want Jensen to know that I had imprinted on him, but I didn't want him to get the wrong ideas about what I felt for Sam. When I remained quiet, Jensen turned to look down at me. I felt his gaze, but I couldn't make myself look into his eyes. My throat closed up with my impending tears, and I didn't trust my voice not to break, so I nodded my head.

"Are you still in love with him?" he asked.

That question forced my eyes to look into his, and I vehemently said, "No!", however my voice broke. I tried to convey the sincerity of my answer with my eyes, but he had looked away again.

We stayed quiet for a long time, each caught up in our own turbulent thoughts. I started to become angry. How dare he judge me! When Tanya came down to visit, he was all over her! I felt the anger burning through my veins, but before I could blast him with his own hypocrisy, he turned and started to walk away from me with stiff strides.

"Where do you think you're going!?!" I yelled after him.

"I need to think. I've respected _your_ privacy, Leah, you respect _mine_."


	13. Chapter 13 Party

"Cannonball!" Paul yelled as he dove off the edge of the cliff.

I shook my head and grinned at his antics. I had noticed the wolves were playful when they were in a good mood. I walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. I saw Leah in the ocean looking up and she smiled. She was so beautiful, and pride swelled in my chest at the thought that she was mine.

"She's a nice piece of ass, isn't she?" Cain said as he stood next to me.

"What?" I said and turned to look at him with my eyes narrowed. I didn't like the sound of his voice, and the way he looked at Leah certainly didn't escape my notice.

He must have sensed the tension that was emanating from me, but he grinned as if he was enjoying my irritation.

"Hey now. Don't get upset. You wouldn't be the first one that she's fooled. Sam was first, now it's your turn. With the way she was pressed up against me after you dove off the cliff, I'm expecting to be next when you're done with her. I don't mind thirds, especially with a horny bitch like her."

I lunged for Cain's throat, but in a flash, Sam was standing between us, holding me back. I snarled in Sam's face, and Cain laughed.

"Stop right now Jensen. You don't want to make enemies of us. You are outnumbered here. Calm down" Sam said quietly.

It took a moment for his words to register, but I eventually relaxed my stance. I was still angry, but I knew Sam's words were true.

"Is it true Sam? Were you and Leah together?"

He hesitated, then said, "Yes, but that was a long time ago, and I'm in love with Emily now."

I let his words flow over me and I felt defeated and angry. He said he was in love with Emily _now_, which in my mind meant he had been in love with Leah at one time. Knowing Leah, she had been in love with Sam too. Was that the reason for her tension when she noticed the group cliff diving earlier? Could she still be in love with Sam? Was that why she suggested we cliff dive? It was _her_ idea after all. Was she using me to make Sam jealous, much like I used Tanya to make Leah jealous? The questions in my mind were growing with a life of their own, almost like a cancer, and the only answers that came to me held a sickening truth.

The scenario that defeated and angered me, however, was the one scenario I believed to be the most likely. Leah was like Tanya. She had an unrequited love for Sam, and was using me as a distraction. Much like Tanya had an unrequited love for Edward and she used me to fill Edward's place. The difference was I wasn't in love with Tanya.

We all turned our heads at the sound of Leah approaching. I could see in her face that she noticed the tension emanating from me. I tried with everything I had to remember that she wanted to be with _me_. That what Cain said, and what Sam confirmed didn't matter. Unfortunately, I was still insecure in our relationship to shake off their words. When Leah's steps began to falter, I walked the rest of the way to her.

"We need to talk. Now" I said, then I turned to gather my clothes and strode off towards the beach.

Once I reached the beach, I stared out at the ocean. It was high tide, and I could see a storm brewing in the distance. I took a deep breath hoping the briny air would cleanse my mind from the poison infecting it. However, the simple truth was that the wolves, Jacob's pack as well as Sam's pack, knew Leah better than I did. This truth haunted me. I was not of their kind. I was the newcomer. Suddenly I recalled the little clues Leah had been giving me. Sam was the reason she cried after the first time we had sex. She must have dreamt about Sam afterwards, and then cried again in her sleep. I recalled the brief look of mutiny that crossed her face the first time I declared that she was mine. It all added up. I shook my head and laughed humorously at the realization that Sam, Cain, and Paul saw me as Leah's fool. Did all the wolves view me that way, including Leah?

I heard Leah's approach, but I remained quiet as she stood next to me.

"Is it true? Were you in Cain's arms after I jumped off the cliff?" I asked bitterly.

"It wasn't like that Jensen. He grabbed me from behind. You of all people should know that appearances aren't always what they seem" she stated with a low growl.

Yes, I knew that, but it was also my experience that women were fickle creatures. After all, Tanya was able to sleep with me even though she was in love with Edward. Again, the thought that Leah was using me to make Sam jealous came to mind, and I clenched my jaw.

"I want to hear a yes or no answer for this question. I don't want to hear details or explanations. Were you in love with Sam?"

I heard the erratic pace of her heart. She remained silent a second too long for my taste, so I finally glanced down at her. She didn't look me in the eye. Her eyes were directed somewhere in the vicinity of my chest. Then she stiffly nodded her head.

"Are you still in love with him?" I asked willing her to look me in the eye.

"No!" she exclaimed, however, her voice broke, and I looked away from her as my worst fears were confirmed by her denial.

We stayed quiet for a long time, each caught up in our own turbulent thoughts. My despair mingled with my anger. I breathed deeply and her scent almost distracted me from my thoughts. I needed to get away from her, otherwise her proximity and scent would prove me as the fool I knew she was making me out to be. I turned abruptly and walked away from her with stiff strides.

"Where do you think you're going!?!" she yelled.

"I need to think. I've respected _your_ privacy, Leah, you respect _mine_."

* * *

I watched Alice and Edward practically fly around the roof top of the Cullen Mansion as they hung decorations. Bella, Jacob, and Esme were in the kitchen preparing food. I almost laughed thinking about the scene I had walked into just a few moments ago when I entered the kitchen. Bella and Jacob were arguing about what kind of cake Renesmee should have, while Esme watched them patiently. It was silly to me why Bella would care so much about the cake when she couldn't eat it herself. I walked out of the kitchen when I realized there really wasn't anything I could do to help there.

"Alice! Edward! Do you guys need help?"

Alice stopped and said, "Jensen, can you help Rosalie with the game booths & rides? I have a feeling that Emmett and Jasper are wrestling instead of helping, and Rosalie is doing everything herself."

"Sure. I'll go around back."

"Thanks Jensen!"

I smiled wryly as I walked to the back of the house. Leave it to Alice to build an entire carnival for a kid's birthday. It will probably be the most talked about party for years to come. The excitement in the air was a palpable thing, that I couldn't help but feel a flicker of it myself.

It had been a week since Leah and I had gone cliff diving. It had been one long week, since we last talked. Needless to say, I had a lot of time to think. I decided that if Leah wanted to play this game with me, I will oblige her. However, now that I knew all the players in the game, we would be playing by my rules. She fell back to the routine of shadowing me when she was on patrol, but she also avoided me. That was fine with me. I wasn't ready yet to confront her.

"Hey Rosalie, Alice said you might need my help" I said as I spotted Rosalie hammering away on the game booth she was working on. She stopped when she heard my voice and looked up at me.

"Yeah, thanks Jensen. Could you finish the ferris wheel?"

"Sure" I said, and shook my head in amusement when I saw Emmett and Jasper wrestling a few feet away just as Alice had predicted.

I got to work, and found myself actually looking forward to the party.

* * *

The party was a success as expected. It still amazed me how the people of Forks did not realize that there was something different about Renesmee and the rest of the Cullens. It must have been midnight, but the carnival was still in full swing. Alice had cleared out the furniture in the great room, so the adults would be able to dance. I stood with Jasper and Edward at one side of the room, watching the dance floor. I didn't know where Alice and Bella were, but I was very conscious of where Leah was.

Naturally, Jacob's pack was at the party. Jacob was with Renesmee, enjoying the carnival with her. The rest of Jacob's pack stood together at the other side of the room from where I stood with Edward and Jasper, but Leah didn't stand with them. Instead she was on the dance floor, dancing. This proved to me that I really didn't know Leah at all. I would never have believed she would be dancing at a party, much less a party at the Cullens'. She danced with her eyes closed and her body swayed in time with the music. You could tell by her expression that she was in her own world. She was wearing a little black dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. The dress would have been modest on anyone else but Leah. On Leah, the dress conveyed pure sex. I wanted to snatch her up and rip the dress off her, but at the same time I wanted to kill every man in the room that looked at her with lust in their eyes.

I watched her as she moved sensuously in time with the beat of the song. I knew she would dance beautifully. As if she could feel the heat of my gaze as I stared at her, she opened her eyes and looked at me. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever, and I knew she could see the longing in my eyes. I decided that no matter what had happened in the past, she was still mine. I made my way toward her, weaving around the people who were dancing. She kept her eyes on me and continued to dance. When I made it to her, I wrapped my arm around her waist. She finally stood still, and then as if making a decision of her own, she laid her head on my chest and started swaying her body against mine. Her body fit against my body like a missing puzzle piece, and I started to sway with her. Her heart beat in time to the beat of the song, and we started picking up the pace of our dance. Our bodies melded together as if we were making love. It felt like there was no one else in the room except for us. For just this moment, everything that was said between us, all the obstacles that stood in the way of our relationship, disappeared. She was mine, and I was hers.

Eventually the song ended, and reality intruded. We stopped dancing, and she raised her head to look into my eyes.

"Let's get out of here" I said.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. "Yeah, let's get out of here" she said with a trace of bitterness. Apparently she was angry with me.

I took her hand and exited the house, leading the way to my cabin. Her anger fueled something inside me. I felt the anger that I held at bay overwhelm me, and the need to dominate her was relentless. It was time to show her who she belonged to, and it was about time she started playing by my rules.


	14. Chapter 14 Heat pt 2

**A/N: I've been writing like crazy the past few days! Anyhoo, here's another update. Thanks to all my reviewers! You guys inspire me to keep writing!! BTW, I keep forgetting to put in a disclaimer: everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit, except for Jensen and Cain! :)**

I had never gone to a party at the Cullens' before. My feeling of uneasiness always got in the way of truly befriending any of the vampires. However, since meeting Jensen and imprinting on him, I began to feel an affinity for the Cullens, especially Bella. Bella and Edward's story was almost legendary amongst their own kind. It was unheard of for a vampire to fall in love with a human. What was their saying? "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb." I usually rolled my eyes at the sentiment, but now that saying meant something to me.

Once, a long time ago, I had blasted Bella for her insensitivity and what I saw as callousness where Jacob was concerned. I had apologized, but I never truly felt sorry for what I had said. We weren't friends, but we weren't enemies either. Whenever we saw each other we were very cordial but guarded. Now I wanted to seek her out. I wanted to talk to her. I needed a girlfriend who could possibly understand what I was going through.

It had been a week since the cliff diving incident. I was still very hurt and angry, but I followed Jensen whenever I was on patrol. He knew I was watching him. Once he even looked at me, and we stared at each other for one impossibly long minute. Then he clenched his jaw, looked away, and went about his business. That just pissed me off. He was acting like such a . . . man! Letting his ego control his emotions.

A lot was going on during the week in preparation for the party. Alice really outdid herself this time by giving Renesmee a carnival. Naturally, Jacob's pack was invited to the party. We were invited every year, but this year was the first time I would actually attend instead of watching the party from the outside. I knew Jensen would be at the party, and I wanted to show him that I didn't need him to have fun.

And so, here I was going to the Cullens', looking for Bella. I was very careful not to run into Jensen, but since I saw him outside building what looked to me like a ferris wheel, I knew he would be occupied for a while. I knew he could smell my scent, but he had smelled my scent all week anyway. He already knew I was following him. This time, however, he wasn't the one I was seeking.

I found Bella in the kitchen with Jacob and Esme. I stood in the doorway, waiting for someone to notice my presence. It looked to me like Jacob and Bella were arguing about cake, and I didn't want to interrupt. Esme, however, noticed me.

"Hello Leah. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Esme. Thank you. Um, Bella?"

Bella was still arguing with Jacob, but she broke off mid-sentence and looked in my direction when she heard me calling her name. Her face was so expressive and I could see her surprise. I realized I had never actually talked to her directly before.

"Hi Leah. Did you need me for something?"

"Uh, yes, I do actually. I'm sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure" she said, and then she turned to Jacob with a stern look on her face, "Don't you _dare_ make devil's food cake! She wants red velvet!"

"Sure, sure" Jacob said to Bella, but he spoiled it by looking at me and winking.

"Grrrrr! Men!" Bella growled and threw her hands up in the air as she walked away from him over to me.

"Can we go over to your cottage to talk?" I asked Bella when she reached my side.

"Okay" she said hesitantly as she walked with me outside and led the way to her cottage.

We were silent on the way to the cottage. I was contemplating how I would start my story. Once we were seated inside the cottage, I decided to start from the beginning. I told her about Sam and Emily, about my first meeting with Jensen, about _imprinting_ on Jensen, and about the cliff diving episode.

By the time I was finished with my story, I was emotionally exhausted. I couldn't believe I told her about imprinting on Jensen, but she was a good listener. It also felt good to tell _someone_ I imprinted. My pack didn't even know I imprinted. Whenever I was in my wolf form, I ruthlessly buried that knowledge so that they wouldn't find out. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep all my thoughts about Jensen buried, so they did know some of the more intimate details of my relationship with him.

"Wow, Leah. That's some story."

"I'm still so hurt and angry with him, Bella."

"Why don't you just talk to him?"

"He won't talk to me! And it's not even my fault! He's the one acting like a jackass!"

"Loving a vampire isn't an easy thing. I definitely could relate to you on that. But one thing is for sure. Once a vampire falls in love, it's forever. In fact, it's not too different from your imprinting. When you become a vampire, it takes something _profound_ to change you, physically as well as emotionally. I believe Jensen loves you, but for probably the first time in his life he feels inadequate. I know you're mad at him, but you need to talk to him. Come to the party. Let him see you uninhibited. I can guarantee he will put his ego aside to be with you."

Bella's words were definitely what I needed. I was thinking along those same lines anyway, but it was gratifying to hear the words spoken out loud by someone other than me.

"Thanks Bella. I needed to hear that. Um, Bella? Do you think I could borrow something to wear for the party?" I asked, but I felt my face flush with embarrassment. After all, we weren't exactly friends, and here I was asking to borrow her clothes! I think imprinting had definitely messed up my brain somehow.

Bella grinned widely and said, "I have a whole closet of party dresses that Alice forced on me. Please feel free to take them all!"

* * *

As Jensen and I practically marched to his cabin, I couldn't help but feel a little smug. I was still mad at him, but a part of me felt self-satisfied. I knew the little black dress would be a good idea. I knew he was watching me as I danced, and I knew he would come for me. Yet my anger grew as we got closer to his cabin.

We were quiet as we entered his cabin. He paced away from me, and I leaned back against the door of the cabin.

"So, what? Now you're talking to me?" I asked him sarcastically.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and he walked over to me, placing his hands on the door on either side of my head.

"Leah" he said dangerously, "Don't test my patience."

"Well, too bad because I'm at the end of my patience, you fucking hypocritical jackass!" I yelled up to his face.

He stayed quiet, looking down at me, and he was clenching his jaw. Suddenly, he smiled at me crookedly, and leaned down so that his lips were almost touching mine.

"It's okay, Leah. I know you want it. I'll play your little game" he whispered against my lips.

His words sunk in, and I was pissed. What he said sounded too similar to what Cain had said to me a week ago. I raised my hand and slapped Jensen as hard as I could. The resounding crack of my palm against his cheek was music to my ears. I was about to slap him again, but in a flash he grabbed both of my hands and raised them above my head, holding my wrists there with one of his hands.

"Don't do that again. Believe me, I can give as good as I get" he said, and then he crushed his mouth to mine.

When I felt his tongue against my lips, I bit him hard. If he were human, he would have bled. Instead he hissed, and jerked my body hard and high against the cabin door, so I was no longer touching the floor. He was standing between my legs, his body my anchor against the wall. We glared at each other, and then he reached up and wrapped his free hand around my throat. I should have been scared, but I was oddly excited. I dared him with my eyes to squeeze. Instead his hand relaxed against my throat and drifted to the top of my dress. He fisted the material in his hand and tore the dress from my body with one swift tug. Astonished, I froze. I watched as his head lowered to my breast, and I jerked as his mouth consumed my aching nipple. Felt the surge of electric shock as it traveled through my system. He groaned against my nipple, licked it, and rasped it. Soon my body started wanting more. I was mad, but the anger seemed to fuel my lust instead of dim it.

"Tell me you want me. Tell me you want me to take you like this, against the cabin door" he growled against my breast.

I panted harshly, his words making me hot.

No! No! There was a reason why I came with him to his cabin, and it wasn't to have sex, damn it!! He owed me an apology!

I looked deep within myself and found the strength to free my hands from his grip and push away from him. I covered my breasts with my hands and ran to the other side of the cabin. Jensen turned to watch me and he leaned against the cabin door, effectively blocking my escape.

"I didn't come here to get mauled, Jensen. You owe me an apology."

"Apology? For what? For refusing to let you use me to make Sam jealous?"

"What!? You can't be serious. You actually think I'm using you to make Sam jealous?" I asked incredulously. "You do realize that Sam and I have been over for over 6 years. Are you going to just believe what Cain said? You don't even know him, and if you believe him over me, you're just plain stupid."

He stayed quiet, but I could tell he was contemplating what I just said. It still looked like he didn't trust me, but at least he was willing to listen to me.

"Listen, Jensen. I haven't been interested in _anyone_, until you came along. You know how hard I fought against being with you, but in the end I couldn't help myself because of _who_ you are to me. If you don't believe anything else, believe that" I said, hoping he heard what I was so close to telling him. I had never been so close to telling him that I imprinted on him than I was at this moment.

Suddenly he smiled; displaying the dimples I so loved. Then he crooked a finger at me, beckoning me to come to him. I slowly walked to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on my hips and brought my body closer to his. He leaned his forehead against mine and breathed in deeply.

"I'm sorry Leah" he whispered, and then he tilted my head up and gave me a devastating kiss.

* * *

It was happening again. It was only three days since the party and the heat was coming over me. At least this time I wouldn't be alone. I left Jensen's cabin to go to my tent. I didn't want to stay too close to the Cullens' borders because I still wasn't sure how my being in heat would affect my pack mates. Jensen was up at the house, talking to Carlisle. They were discussing him being a permanent fixture in the Cullen household. He said he would meet me at the tent when he was done.

I was in my human form, so my pack wouldn't know what was going on with me. I was almost at my destination when I caught the scent of a wolf. Not just any wolf . . . it was Cain. Fuck, I was trapped. I scanned the forest trying to locate him, and then he attacked. I phased into my wolf form trying to fight him off, however the heat made me weak, and I wasn't able to fight him off effectively. I shouted to my pack mates to find me and help me. Cain bit my neck to hold me in place as he moved over me. I struggled again with everything I had in me, and then suddenly I heard a terrifying growl and Cain was gone. It took me a while to register that someone had ripped Cain off of me and was fighting with him.

It was Jensen, and he and Cain were grappling with each other a few feet away from me. It was an even fight, and I wanted to join in as the blood lust coursed through my veins. I wanted to rip Cain's throat out. However, before I could do anything, Jacob, Seth, Embry, and Quil appeared. I immediately phased into my human form, not knowing how they would react to me. They took in the fight between Jensen and Cain, and immediately joined the foray. It felt like hours, but the fight was over in only minutes.

In the end, Jensen was the one who delivered the death blow. Even though Cain was already dead, my pack mates continued to dismember the body of the wolf. Jensen came over to me, bloody but unhurt. He gathered me into his arms, and I held onto him. Jacob had phased into his human form and walked over to us.

"I'm sorry this happened. We'll leave you two alone. Don't worry about Sam. I'll tell him what happened, but it might be wise for the two of you to stay away from the reservation for a while."

I nodded my head, and Jensen said, "Sure. Thanks Jacob."

Jacob saluted us, phased back into his wolf form, and then he, Seth, Embry, and Quil ran off.

I took in the scene before me. There was so much blood. I don't know what my pack mates did with Cain's remains, but I no longer wanted to be here.

"Take me away from here, Jensen."

He nodded his head, lifted me in his arms, and walked back into the forest. I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't care as long as I was with Jensen.


	15. Chapter 15 Sam

**A/N: **This update took forever! Sorry . . . big project at work. Anyways, Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! There was a question about why Jensen pulls out during sex, and there is a reason, but it's part of the story, so keep reading!

* * *

I was headed towards the waterfall where Leah and I had first met. There was a small cave behind the waterfall that I thought would be a good location for Leah and I to be alone while she was in heat. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough and we ran into Sam and his pack. How could I forget that the wolves' minds were connected when they were in wolf form? Oh, that's right; I was too busy killing one of them.

Leah instinctively tightened her arms around me as I cradled her body when we caught the scent of the other wolves. I stopped where I stood, gripping Leah firmly, while I waited for Sam to make the first move. Sam was in front of me, while the other wolves in his pack circled us. They were all growling and their hackles were raised.

"Sam, listen to me. You know what Cain intended to do to Leah. He had to be put down" I said calmly.

I stared at Sam steadily, willing him to listen to reason. He continued to growl, and if anything he became more agitated. I could hear Leah's heart pounding furiously, and her body heat was rising by the minute. I was sorely tempted to just run for it, however, I was severely outnumbered, and Leah was in no condition to help me fight if Sam decided to attack. Leah started to pant heavily, and a low moan escaped her. The sound of it drew Sam's attention, as well as the attention of every wolf in the clearing. I tightened my grip on Leah, prepared to defend her with my life.

Suddenly, we all caught the scent of vampires.

"Hello" Edward said as he walked into the clearing. Bella was beside him, and a few moments later the rest of the Cullen clan surrounded us.

I was relieved and concerned at the same time. I didn't want to involve the Cullens in this fight; however I desperately needed their help should this confrontation turn into one. I turned my attention back to Sam to gauge how this new development would affect him. His fur was standing on end, and his lip was curled into a snarl. The growls emanating from his throat became more pronounced, and I knew any sudden movements would trigger the decision to fight.

I decided then and there that I would face what would happen alone. I did not want any of the Cullens to die on my behalf. I would not repay their kindness in that way.

"Edward, please take Leah from me. The rest of you can go. I will handle this on my own."

There was silence for a long moment. Then Carlisle spoke.

"Jensen, you are a part of this family now, and we protect our family."

Incredulous, I looked at the faces of the Cullens, and saw determination. However, Bella had a soft smile on her lips, as if she were reminiscing.

"Jensen, Sam says that he understands your reason for killing Cain, but Cain was his cousin and he can't allow you to go unpunished for taking matters into your own hands. He says you should have left him alive for the pack to deal with themselves" Edward said.

My eyes widened slightly until I realized that Edward was reading Sam's mind.

"Sam, you know that I couldn't leave him alive" I said grimly, "He would have come back for Leah."

"Jensen . . . I have to show him" Leah said quietly.

I hissed and vehemently said, "No!"

A lot happened simultaneously. Leah phased to her wolf form, the Cullens formed a circle around Leah and I, and the wolves attacked. Instead of fighting with the wolves, the Cullens were deflecting them. I took a protective stance to shield Leah. When the wolves realized they could not penetrate the circle the Cullens formed around Leah and me, they stopped.

The wolves were breathing harshly, and as I was focusing on Sam I could visibly see his reaction to Leah. This made me angry enough to start the fight again, but Edward's voice halted me.

"Sam, if you don't mind, can you phase to your human form? You'll be more comfortable."

There was a tense moment, and then Sam phased. Leah decided to phase back as well. She curled into herself in a fetal position at my feet, and she was softly moaning. I immediately took my shirt off and draped it over her. I was pissed that she was suffering, and I couldn't just take her away.

Sam did not seem as agitated as he was earlier. In fact, he seemed to be in deep thought. We all waited silently for Sam to either speak or continue the fight. None of us relaxed our stances. Finally, he seemed to have come to a decision.

"I can understand why Cain reacted the way he did. There's never been anyone like Leah in our generation, so there was no way of knowing if she would go into heat or how we would react to her. I'm still angry that you took matters into your own hands, Jensen. I realize that this won't be resolved right now, so I will hold a council with the elders of my tribe."

I understood that to mean at some point, possibly when I was alone, I would be confronted yet again. I took this thought in stride, and inclined my head towards Sam in acknowledgment.

"Jensen . . ." Leah softly moaned, and I immediately took her into my arms.

"We'll be leaving now. I expect to not be assaulted while my back is turned."

"Don't worry, Jensen. We'll just have a little chat with Sam and his pack while you leave" Jasper drawled.

As I walked past Carlisle, he put his hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to look at him and he smiled.

"Well done, brother. Come back home when you can."

I nodded my head, tightened my grip on Leah, and ran the rest of the way towards the waterfall.

* * *

I discovered the small cave behind the waterfall where Leah and I had first met on one of my hunting excursions. It was naturally formed, and it didn't go too far deep into the hillside. The ceiling of the cave was low, but I wouldn't be too uncomfortable since I would be laying down most of my time there anyway. It actually was the perfect spot for Leah and me to be alone. There was water, and animals regularly came to the pool at the base of the waterfall to drink, so there was plenty too eat without actually having to go out to hunt.

I laid Leah's body down on the floor of the cave, and then I stripped the rest of my clothes off. Leah's eyes were closed but I knew she was aware of my every movement. I knelt down between her legs, and I could feel the heat radiating off of her body. It felt _good_.

I studied her face. Her long, black eyelashes fanned her high cheekbones as her eyes blinked open to stare at me. I looked into the liquid chocolate of her eyes for a moment before I drifted my gaze to her perfect, full, bow-shaped mouth. As I stared at her mouth, her little pink tongue peeked out, and she slowly licked her lips. My cock twitched impatiently at the sight of her tongue.

"Jensen . . . please, I need you" Leah said on a moan, and her eyes drifted shut again.

I pushed her thighs further apart with my own thighs, then I grasped her hips, and rammed home without further preliminaries. I closed my eyes and groaned as her pussy tightened around my cock and the feeling of warmth spread over me. Unbelievably, even though I hadn't moved, I felt her start to climax and I heard her stifle her scream of pleasure as her orgasm washed over her. Satisfied that she finally achieved some relief, I started stroking in and out of her in earnest. I watched as my cock slid into the pink folds of her pussy. I groaned again as she lifted her hips into me and met me thrust for thrust. I gripped her hips and pounded into her pussy furiously. The sounds of our flesh slapping against each other echoed in the cave, and liquid pooled underneath us. My balls felt heavy with seed and I knew my climax was near. I began to pull out of Leah, and before I knew it, Leah had pushed me onto my back, and immediately clamped her full lips onto my cock.

"Leah . . . you're going to kill me" I growled.

She answered by growling back and taking my cock as far as it would go down her throat. Leah began alternating between sucking and twirling her tongue on my cock. I grabbed her hair and began thrusting into her mouth. I could feel her teeth scrape along the length of my cock and that little bit of pain intensified my pleasure.

"I'm going to cum" I gasped and tried to pull her head away. She threw her arms around my hips and continued to suck on my cock. The pull of her mouth was so strong; I swear I felt it down to my toes. I threw an arm over my eyes, thrust between her lips one more time, and groaned as my balls emptied themselves and my cock gushed into her mouth.

I lay quietly, listening to the sounds of Leah licking me clean. I lifted my arm to peek down at her, and she was licking her lips. When she looked up at me, I smiled.

"Get over here, beautiful" I murmured.

She smiled back at me and quickly crawled into my arms. She stifled a yawn and I knew she was tired.

"Sleep while you can, sweetheart."

Leah nodded her head, got comfortable, and then closed her eyes. Soon the sound of her soft, regular breathing filled the cave, and I knew she was asleep.

As I watched Leah sleep, the events of earlier came back to haunt me.

Leah was headed to the tent she had made for herself for when she went into heat. I told her that she could just stay in my cabin, but she was afraid that her pack mates would come sniffing around and she just wanted to avoid any conflicts. I reluctantly agreed, and told her I would meet her there as soon as I was done talking to Carlisle.

I needed to talk to Carlisle about becoming a permanent presence in his home. Luckily, he had no problems with my being a part of his clan, and we even figured out a public story for my taking up residence. Being 23, in human years, made me too old to be one of Carlisle's "sons". Though Carlisle and I were technically the same age in human years, he was so much older than me. So, that made me Carlisle's younger brother. Since I had worked for a building contractor in my human life, it would make sense for me to find work as a building contractor or carpenter in Forks or Port Angeles to make my stay permanent.

I was headed to Leah's tent when I heard the sounds of a struggle. I ran towards the sounds and saw red once I spotted Cain attempting to rape Leah. I didn't bother to ask questions. I flew at him in my rage, and I knew I was going to kill him. When Jacob and his pack appeared, I feared that they would attack Leah too. I was pleasantly surprised when they joined me in my fight against Cain. There was an unspoken agreement that I would be the one to deliver the death blow, and when the opportunity presented itself, I ripped Cain's throat out, and left the corpse for the wolves to do with as they will.

I sighed as I contemplated what would happen with Sam. What would his elders advise him? Would I have to watch my back for my entire existence? Would my presence endanger the Cullens? If it came down to a war, I would leave. I wondered if Leah would come with me. My arms tightened around her instinctively, and in the back of my mind I wondered if I would even give her a choice. Leah moaned, and I shook myself from my grim thoughts. I kissed her forehead, and she settled back into sleep. I stroked her soft check, and brushed her long eyelashes with my fingertip. No matter what Sam decided, I would not lose Leah. With this thought in mind, I kissed Leah's forehead again, and whispered, "I love you."


	16. Chapter 16 Absolution

I rubbed my temples to ease the ache in my head. This was the worst part of my day; when I was at work. I sighed and looked at the clock that was hanging above the entrance door. At least I only had another 30 minutes before I could leave. After work I was due for patrol, but I decided that today I would pay a visit to Sam instead.

There was a heavy weight that settled on my shoulders the following week after I had gone into heat. Although I was happy that Jensen and I seemed to have come to an understanding about our relationship, there was a blade hanging above our heads in the form of Sam. No one approached either me or Jensen with the "decision", and it seemed like the whole incident with Cain never happened. The only problem was I felt like I was constantly looking over my shoulder.

I was tired of waiting, and it was bullshit that they were even discussing a "punishment" for Jensen in the first place. Maybe I should have just put up an announcement saying, "I go into heat every month, so leave me the fuck alone!" so the shifters would know to stay away from me, and this sort of conflict would have never occurred. But, somehow I knew, even if I told everyone and their mothers, I just knew it wouldn't have kept Cain away from me. Jensen was right – if he kept Cain alive, Cain would have come back for me.

I couldn't believe that even after I phased, and Sam and his pack realized I was in heat, that Sam didn't understand my side of the story. Instead he said he understood why Cain attacked me. Like my being in heat was some sort of justification for Cain's behavior. Unbelievable! I was pissed at Sam, to say the least, but I had to admit that deep down I was hurt. Even though Sam and I never imprinted on each other, we used to love each other to some extent, and it hurt me to realize that Sam took Cain's side in this whole mess. I wondered if Sam would have taken Cain's side if Cain had succeeded in raping me, but I decided I would rather not know.

A group of kids entered the store, and I groaned inwardly. I was looking forward to closing up the store and having my meeting with Sam. Luckily, they only came to buy some soda, and they left the store quickly. After they left, I closed up the store, and made my way to Sam's house.

* * *

"Leah . . . what are you doing here?"

"Sam, can you come out for a moment? I want to talk to you."

Sam stood silently, contemplating my request. I heard movement from behind him, and I knew Emily was coming to the door. Sure enough she came over and stood next to Sam. I usually felt uncomfortable whenever I saw Sam and Emily together, but now I felt indifferent.

"Hi Leah" Emily said quietly.

"Hello Emily. Do you mind if I talk to Sam for a moment? I won't keep him long."

"Oh sure. Go ahead Sam."

Sam looked down at Emily with his brow raised, and then he said, "Okay".

I didn't have a destination in mind, so we just walked the foot path that would lead us into the forest. It was twilight, and soon the forest would be completely dark, but the darkness wouldn't affect mine or Sam's vision.

Sam remained quiet, and I knew he was waiting for me to speak. I gathered my thoughts and decided to just get right to the point.

"What have you and the elders decided to do about Jensen?" I asked bluntly.

For a moment I didn't think Sam would answer me. I heard him sigh.

"I haven't talked to the elders yet. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this whole incident, and I don't want to jump the gun until I feel confident in what I'm presenting to them."

"I'm trying to be patient, Sam, but the longer I wait to hear what's going to happen, the more frustrated and pissed off I'm getting. Can't you just let this go? Don't you understand that Cain was going to rape me?"

"Leah, you were in heat. Of course he was going to react that way! Didn't you see how we all reacted when you phased to your wolf form?"

"Oh! So you're saying that it's MY fault that Cain tried to rape me?!! That's bullshit, Sam, and you know it!"

"Leah, calm down. I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm saying that I understood why he reacted that way to you because even I wanted you, as did every wolf in my pack. I suppose it's just in our nature, but you know this has never happened before, so we had no way of knowing how we would react."

"Fuck that! You're justifying Cain's behavior and that's a load of shit! Cain was wrong, Sam. Jensen was defending me! He does not deserve to be punished."

Sam became exasperated and he threw his hands up in the air.

"I can't leave him unpunished, Leah! By killing Cain, Jensen decided to be judge, jury, and executioner. No one has the right to do that, mo matter the provocation!"

I stopped walking, which forced Sam to stop as well, and I took a few calming breaths. My instinct was to tell Sam off, however I knew that the more I argued with him, the more pig-headed he would be. So, I decided to tell Sam the one thing that would save Jensen's life.

I stared steadily into Sam's face, and I calmly said, "Sam . . . I imprinted on him."

It took a moment for my words to register, but when they did Sam's face took on an almost comical expression. He was stunned, and if our conversation weren't so serious, I would have laughed.

"You imprinted on Jensen? You imprinted on a vampire?! Are you kidding me??!"

"No, I'm not kidding. I really did imprint on Jensen. I think that's why I started going into heat."

"Hmmm, that kind of makes sense. You never went into heat before he came into town" Sam said.

"You know what would happen if you decide to kill Jensen. My misery would be a hundred times more unbearable than when you broke up with me, and you would sentence my pack to the same pain. Sam, you know me . . . if you hurt Jensen I would make you pay with everything that's in me. I won't allow you to hurt me again."

Sam shook his head, in what looked to me like resignation.

"Alright Leah. I'll talk to my pack. I won't bring it up to the elders, however Jensen must uphold the truce we have with the Cullens; he's not allowed to cross the borders of La Push, and he's not allowed to kill humans or change anyone" Sam said meaningfully, and he turned to walk back to his house.

I sighed because it seemed like there was nothing left to say. I followed him, and we walked in silence until we reached his house. Sam stopped me before I could continue on my way.

"Leah, I know you and I have not been friends in a long time, but Emily misses you. Would you like to join us for dinner?"

I was startled by his request. To be honest, I didn't miss Emily. I supposed, though it was sort of unreasonable, it was because I was hurt by what I saw as betrayal on her part. I thought about how I felt indifferent earlier when I saw Sam and Emily together in their doorway when I came to get Sam, and I looked inside myself to see how I felt about Emily. I was not surprised that I found that I wanted to test myself to see if I could rebuild my relationship with Emily.

"Sure" I said, and I walked up to the front door with Sam, preparing myself mentally for whatever may come.

* * *

Dinner had been an interesting affair. When Sam told Emily I would be staying for dinner, I saw that she was genuinely happy. I felt guilty because I couldn't feel the same. I wasn't _unhappy_, but I was admittedly wary. I was cordial throughout dinner, and to my surprise I found that I had stayed for a good 3 hours. The three of us talked, and I found that I enjoyed our conversation. Though we had never talked together like this, I remembered how much I liked talking to Sam and how much I liked talking to Emily. Plus, the awkwardness that always seemed to be present whenever we saw each other in the past, seemed to have disappeared. I realized that if I had not imprinted on Jensen, I would have loved him anyway just for giving me back my cousin.

Since I had spent most of my time with Sam and Emily, I decided I would just go back to Jensen's cabin rather than go on patrol. I was excited at the prospect of telling him that we no longer had Sam to worry about. I practically skipped the rest of the way to the cabin because of my excitement.

As I walked through the front door of the cabin, Jensen immediately grabbed me by my arms. I jumped a little because I hadn't expected him to grab me. I smiled up into his face; however my smile died when I saw his expression. He was furious.

"Where the hell have you been?" he hissed.

I blinked as his tone registered and I realized he shook me as he asked his question. I was puzzled by his anger.

"I went to talk to Sam" I said, and to quickly diffuse his anger I added, "Sam has decided not to talk to the elders and he will not seek revenge for Cain's death."

I expected Jensen to be happy by my news, however his expression got even darker, and for the first time in his presence I felt like I was in danger.

"What the FUCK did you do that would make Sam decide to not seek revenge?"


	17. Chapter 17 Truth

I glared down at Leah. She in turn glared right back at me. I mentally counted to ten and when she still didn't answer me, I asked my question again.

"Goddamn it, Leah! What the fuck did you do that would make Sam decide to not seek revenge?"

Leah narrowed her eyes at me before she twisted out of my grasp. She turned to walk out of the cabin without bothering to answer me. However, I quickly grabbed a hold of her and swung her back into my arms.

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you answer my question!"

"What the FUCK do YOU think I did?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her exactly what I thought she did. _You were out fucking your ex-boyfriend! Did he make you scream? Did he make you beg for more? Is that why it took you four fucking hours to come back home?!_

Rage and jealousy boiled in my gut. I felt that in that moment I was the monster I always feared I was because I wanted to go out and kill Sam.

When Leah didn't come home after her patrol, I was terrified that some harm had come to her. My first thought was that Sam or someone in his pack decided to take revenge against me by hurting Leah. I went out to look for her, but she was no where to be found. I heard her approach the cabin before she opened the door, and Sam's scent was all over her. My anxiety quickly turned into anger.

I decided I didn't want to hear what she did in order to give me clemency. I gripped her tightly, and pulled her body to press fully against mine. She gasped in outrage, but I didn't care. I swooped down and claimed her mouth. I kissed her roughly as I backed her up against the door of the cabin. She fought me every step of the way, and tried to twist herself free from my grasp. I forcibly shook her to still her movements, but still she struggled. Dimly I recalled another moment like this when I had pinned her against my cabin door in anger. Would we always be like this? Always fighting? I just wanted to love her and for her to love me in return. As this thought crossed my mind, the anger in me dissipated.

I sighed against her lips and let go of her. She stared at me incredulously as if she couldn't believe I didn't finish what I started. I wasn't sure if the look in her eyes was disappointment or relief. I turned away from her, hating the fact that she had this power over me, and sat heavily on the bed. I hung my head in my hands, expecting to hear the cabin door open and close behind the woman I loved. Instead, I felt the dip of the mattress as Leah sat next to me. She tried to take one of my hands, but I shook her off. Though the anger was slowly leaving my system, the jealousy remained, and I didn't trust myself to not do what Cain would have done to her if she touched me again.

"Jensen . . ." Leah tentatively said my name. She seemed to contemplate what she would say. I didn't want to hear it.

"Leave Leah, before I do something I regret" I growled before she could say anything else.

She got off the bed, and stood in front of me. I could hear the pounding of her heart. Her breathing became ragged.

"Think what you want to think. I'm tired of having to defend myself to you. Don't come looking for me unless you're coming to apologize" Leah hissed before she stormed out of my cabin.

My instinct was to chase after her, and I was on my feet and out the door before I could stop myself. Once outside I heard the sound of a lone wolf howling. It was the loneliest sound I had ever heard, and I knew it was Leah. Angry at myself and at her and . . . basically this whole fucked up situation; I grabbed the nearest tree, pulled it out of the ground, and hurled it as far as I could.

I heard the distant crash of the tree as it landed, and I closed my eyes, listening to the other sounds around me, trying to calm the chaotic thoughts in my head. When I felt a semblance of control, I decided I needed to talk to Carlisle. Maybe he could give me some perspective on the mess my life has become.

* * *

"Carlisle? Can I have a word?"

As usual, Carlisle was in his study. He looked up from the book he was reading and gave me a smile.

"Sure, Jensen. Come in."

I entered the study, breathing in the scent of the leather-bound books and vellum. I had never been a reader in my human life, but being in Carlisle's study inspired me to start reading. I figured that I might as well entertain my mind somehow since I couldn't sleep.

I took a seat in front of Carlisle's desk, feeling a lot like a juvenile delinquent in trouble with the principal. Being a vampire, I didn't have to sit, but I did so out of habit. Carlisle looked at me inquiringly, and for a moment I was tongue-tied. However, the bitter look that was on Leah's face as she stared me down at my cabin flashed in my mind, and it was like the flood gates opened.

I told Carlisle everything. I told him about when I was created and who created me. I told him about my time with the Denali's, and why I decided to come to Forks. I then continued my story by telling him how I met Leah, the struggle our relationship has been, and the events that led up to me having this conversation with him. It was pure verbal diarrhea. Men just didn't talk like this to one another. When I was finished with my story, Carlisle was staring at me with his brow raised.

"Well, that's quite some story. Naturally, we knew that you and Leah had a relationship. Personally, I think you should be talking to her instead of talking to me."

"I can't, Carlisle. Just now I couldn't even stand to look at her without imaging her in Sam's arms."

"Jensen, you need to believe and trust Leah. No relationship could survive without trust."

I knew that I needed to trust Leah, but how could I tell Carlisle that my insecurities where Leah was concerned wouldn't allow me to trust her. I started to regret coming to Carlisle with my problems. I always liked talking to him, and I respected him immensely. Although I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, I also felt a little embarrassed to have told him so much about myself. I sighed and stood up to leave.

"You're right . . . I really should be having this conversation with Leah. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me Carlisle."

"Not a problem. Things will work out for the best, and if you absolutely need to know _how_ they will work out, you could always ask Alice", Carlisle said with a grin.

Though my heart wasn't in it, I grinned back and said thanks again before leaving his study and the house.

* * *

I wasn't exactly looking for Leah, but I was hoping that I would run into her as I roamed the forest. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, I ran into Sam and Emily. I didn't realize I was so close to the La Push boarders. I was maybe 30 feet away from them, and I could smell Leah's scent on them from where I stood. I felt my body tense, my fists clenched, and my eyes narrowed as I stared at Sam. Sam must have noticed my agitated state because he stood protectively in front of Emily.

"You better send Emily home unless you want her to see me rip you apart," I hissed.

Without taking his eyes from me, I heard him murmur to Emily to go home, and she scampered off without a backwards glace.

"What can I do for you Jensen?" Sam asked as he approached me.

Instead of answering him, I bared my teeth and him and lunged for his throat. Surprisingly, he was able to dodge me. I lunged for him again, and again he was able to dodge me.

"Fight me, Goddamn You!" I yelled when he dodged me for the fifth time.

"I'm sorry but I can't" he said.

"The hell you can't" I growled as I lunged for him again. This time I was able to trip him and he went down.

In a flash, I sat on his chest, pinned his arms to the ground with my knees, and grabbed a hold of his neck before he was able to move away from me. I drew my arm back and punched him. I heard the satisfying sound of his nose breaking before I was suddenly thrown off. I got to my feet and crouched low, baring my teeth, and scanning the area.

Unbelievably, Leah walked into my line of vision in her wolf form. She was facing me, not paying attention to Sam as he got back on his feet. I saw red. I prepared to lunge at Sam again, but Leah put herself between Sam and me. She was _defending_ Sam!

"Get out of the way Leah," I hissed.

"There's obviously some sort of misunderstanding," Sam said as he adjusted his nose and popped it back into place.

I glared at Leah, willing her with my eyes to leave, while Sam continued to talk.

"Listen Jensen. I don't know if Leah was able to tell you, but I no longer hold you accountable for Cain's death. There's no reason for you to attack me like this."

I glanced away from Leah to glare at Sam.

"Yeah, Leah told me. What I want to know is what she had to do to make you change your mind."

For a moment all was silent. Then incredulously Sam started laughing. I prepared myself to lunge for him again, regardless if Leah was in the way. The fucking prick was laughing at me!

Before I could launch myself at him, Sam stopped laughing and held up his hands in a placating manner. He appeared to have collected himself to speak again, however there was a huge grin on the bastard's face.

"Here's the beauty of the situation, Leah didn't have to do anything! Seems to me like the two of you need to talk. She could start off by telling you exactly why I can't fight you, no matter how much you lunge for my throat. I'm going back home to my _mate_. Have fun!" Sam said and quickly left.

For the first time since meeting Leah, I felt awkward being alone with her. I didn't know what to make of Sam's words. Leah was still in her wolf form and it was impossible to decipher her expression. If I had to guess, she seemed weary.

I forced myself to relax my stance and asked her to phase to her human form. She padded closer to me and phased in mid-stride. Seeing her naked body was like getting a punch to my gut. The air literally left my lungs, and I almost forgot why I was so angry in the first place.

She stopped within arms reach of me, and crossed her arms over her breasts. Now that she was in human form, I could clearly see that the look on her face was resignation. She clearly did not want to tell me what Sam's words meant.

"I imprinted on you," Leah said flatly.

Puzzled by her statement, I stared at her blankly, then asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

She sighed and said, "In my world, it means that you are my soul mate. You are the one person who was created specifically for me. You're the only one who could father my children, and you're the only one I was meant to love."

**A/N: I'm sooo sorry for the super late update! I have such bad writer's block!! I know I could have made this chapter better, but my imagination seems to have escaped me!! I will make the next chapter better, but it might take me awhile to locate my imagination. Sorry! Please read and review, and if you guys have any ideas of what you would like to see happen, please let me know!! Thanks!!**


	18. Chapter 18 Salvation

" _. . . you're the only one I was meant to love . . ."_

The words echoed in the stillness of the forest, and I felt humiliated. Someone once told me that the truth will set you free. That someone obviously didn't know the meaning of heartache, pain, or rejection.

The silence was deafening, and try as I might, I couldn't decipher Jensen's thoughts. Deep down a little voice was telling me to walk away from him with my head held up high. However, my heart was telling me to stay and fight for my love. For once, I decided to listen to my heart.

Slowly, as if he didn't want to startle me, Jensen reached for me. He didn't say a word as he held me. I trembled in his arms wondering what he was thinking. Was he still angry? Did he believe me?

His hands stroked my back and hips, and I felt how aroused he was. I was a little confused by his actions, but he was playing my body like an instrument, and I decided I didn't care what he was thinking as long as he continued to touch me. I looked up and found him staring down at me. Before I could read the emotions in his eyes, his mouth swooped down to capture my lips, and I was lost to sensation.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body tightly to his. I was acutely aware of my nakedness and the fact that he was fully clothed. It heightened my arousal, and I attacked his mouth with my lips, tongue, and teeth. He kissed me back just as roughly, and slowly lowered our bodies to the ground. I closed my eyes as Jensen kissed my neck. His hands held my breasts, while he rubbed my nipples back and forth with his thumbs. It was like there was a direct connection from my nipples to my pussy. I could smell the muskiness of my arousal as my slit filled with fluid, and I wrapped my legs around Jensen's jean-clad hips to try to ease the ache that was building.

Jensen lifted his head to look at me and the look in his eyes was so intense I could have climaxed under the weight of his stare.

"I want you" he murmured.

I whispered, "Then take me."

He lifted himself off of me and sat back on his haunches. Watching me, he removed his jacket and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. I licked my lips as the muscular planes of his chest appeared. He unbuttoned his jeans, and as his hands went to his zipper, I launched myself at him. He landed on his back, with me on top, straddling his body.

"Allow me" I said, and I slid down the length of his body, gripped the zipper with my teeth, and slid the zipper down.

His cock sprang up and bobbed right in front of me. Helpless, I took him into my mouth and sucked to my heart's content. I felt Jensen's thighs tense and I heard him groan. Suddenly, his hands gripped my head, and he began fucking my mouth in earnest. If possible, I got even wetter, and I groaned around his cock.

"Enough!" Jensen growled and pulled me up his body.

Before I could regain my balance, Jensen gripped my hips and impaled me with his cock. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as the feeling of being stretched overwhelmed me. Then, because I couldn't help myself, I began to ride him hard and fast, my greedy pussy sucking him in, while my tits bounced with every gyration.

I tried to hold it back, but my climax had a mind of its own. I screamed my release and before I could catch my breath, Jensen reversed our positions and began pounding into me. I felt another climax building inside me, as Jensen kissed along my neck. He fucked me even harder and I knew he was going to cum. Before he could pull out of me, I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on. He stroked into me once, twice, and a third time before he threw his head back and roared as he exploded inside me. I climaxed around him, my pussy milking his cock for everything he had.

Jensen rolled over onto his back, and flung an arm over his eyes. I brought his other arm around me and snuggled into his side. Now that our bodies were satiated, the silence was back and I became nervous again. After all, he didn't actually respond to the declaration that I had imprinted on him.

I waited patiently, allowing him to gather his thoughts, and prepared myself for what he might say. After what seemed like hours, he finally broke the silence.

"I shouldn't have done that."

My heart fell. Did he regret making love to me?

Afraid that my voice would break, I swallowed a couple of times before I spoke.

"Do you have regrets?"

"Yes, and . . . no."

"What does that mean?"

He lifted his arm off of his eyes so he could look at me. I was too afraid of what I would see in his eyes, so I stared at his chest.

"Leah . . . look at me."

I took a deep breath and slowly raised my eyes to look at him. He smiled, flashing his dimples, when our gazes held.

"I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. I don't regret making love to you. Never have and I never will. What I do regret is cuming inside you. But at the same time, I don't regret it at all."

"Why do you regret it?"

"I always pull out when I'm about to cum. It doesn't matter who I'm with. To me, it's a part of myself that I don't share with just anyone. I'm being completely honest now. I didn't want to cum in you because I knew you were holding something back from me. Plus, I didn't want to risk getting you pregnant, not knowing if you loved me."

I was silent as I contemplated his words. My first reaction was to tell him that his logic was dumb, but as I thought about his reasoning I realized that he was just as scared as me. I didn't want to tell him about the fact that I imprinted on him because I was afraid of rejection and of giving him the power to hurt me. He didn't want to find completion inside me because to him it was the only way he knew to protect himself.

"So, why don't you regret it?"

Jensen looked deep into my eyes and said, "Because I love you, and if I'm the only one who could father your children, I want to do everything in my power to make sure that happens."

* * *

**Epilogue**

_5 years later_

Looking down at the tiny being in my arms, I couldn't believe my life had come to this. I looked up into the face of my husband, and the look of wonder and awe on his face was priceless.

"He's beautiful" I said, and as if my son could understand me, he smiled displaying the loveliest pair of dimples.

Jensen looked at us both, grinned, and nuzzled the top of my head.

"I love you, babe."

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of my husband nuzzling my head and the weight of my baby in my arms.

"I love you too."

* * *

I had never imagined the path to salvation to be easy. Nor did I expect the catalyst for my path to be so beautiful. However, the journey was every bit as painful as I had expected, but what I didn't expect was how wonderful and joyous love could be.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it! I'm finally done with Leah & Jensen's story! I'm sorry the chapter was really short, but man, that lemon took a lot out of me! haha! BTW, Jensen's character is based on a real person named Jensen, who happens to be my husband. He gets a kick out of reading my lemons! Thank you all for being so patient with this last chapter and for reading. I hope you all enjoyed!**


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